Deering hopes there are more chapters to the Times Three story

By Pat McLeod

Greg Deering is hoping the Times Three ‘fairytale’ is about to reopen into a couple of new chapters, starting with Thursday night’s The Spark heats at Albion Park.

The Ipswich mentor has the experienced Courageous Carol and youngster Annihilating booked to go around in The Spark heats, with Final night, November 30, the official opening night of the Queensland Golden Greys Summer Racing Carnival. 

Deering doesn’t rate the chances of either highly, however there is a wistful thought pattern at the back of his mind.

It was about this time last year that his best dog to date, Times Three, started a magical run.

The Zambora Brockie and Kinslee chaser was dominating ‘the shorts’ at Ipswich and Albion Park.

That form was confirmed when he won the QGOLD Blitz Final over 331 metres at ‘The Creek’ in the early stages of the 2022 Summer Carnival.

Times Three then won his next four over the shorter distances before Deering stepped him up to a 520 metres on a Monday at Albion Park.

The dog won by five and a quarter lengths in 29.93 seconds. 

He then returned to 'The Creek' over 520 metres on a Thursday night and was far from disgraced in running third to Bear’s Bullet and Springtime Rose.

The next step was a giant one – a heat of the Group 1 Gold Bullion over 520 metres.

Times Three won in 29.89 seconds, with the very smart pair of Hara’s Skye and Springtime Jet, second and third, respectively.

So, in what appeared to be the magical blink of an eye, Times Three and Deering were in a Group 1 Final.

And, in almost the ultimate upset, Deering’s speedster led until the shadows of the post before finishing third to Hello Mike (first) and Jay Is Jay (second).

Fast forward and it’s that time of the year again and Deering is once more about to throw the ‘Hail Mary’ pass.

“Times Three has been out for a while, but I'm hoping to bring him back for the Gold Bullion series,” Deering explains.

“Unfortunately, he has an eye condition, pannus, and I am in the process of working through what treatment I can use. I am in consultation with stewards and hopefully it all works out well.

“He is fine, fit and healthy and ready to go. He is certainly worth a shot at the Bullion and I really hope that he can come back, because if you have a look at some of the other dogs that he is raced against, many are still racing really well.

“Jay Is Jay is a better dog, but my dog has led Jay Is Jay before, so he can compete at that level, but at the moment he is just sitting in a kennel.”

But, there is a long shot, Plan B – Annihilating.

Deering has hopes for the half-brother of Times Three, but as yet doesn’t know the dog’s limits.

Thursday night will be his first journey over the 520 metres. 

“I am stepping Annihilating up to 520 metres, but he is probably a week or two underdone for that sort of competition,” Deering said.

“He is ready to go in a 520 metre race so I thought I would put him in and that just happened to be this week’s Spark heats.

“I'm giving him a bit of a run to see how he handles it before the QGOLD series.

“I think he will get the 520 metres. He ran 25 seconds flat for his novice win over the 431 metres, which isn't too bad.

“I am just hoping he can run as good as Times Three.”

The short run-in to the upcoming features is not a concern for Deering.

He and Times Three have already proven that hurdle is not an insurmountable barrier.

“If you have a look at back at the Gold Bullion, we started Times Three not long before the heats (over the 520 metres),” says Deering.

“He only trialed average, but he picked up another notch when it came to the races.

“You don’t know what the dog can achieve. So I'll give Annihilating the 520 metres and at least then we will know -  is there something there to go on with, or not.

“If it is ‘no’, I will then target the 395 metres. He can run, it is just a matter of how far.”