Jay Walking steps back to The Q after Darwin Cup success

By Pat McLeod

‘NT’ ex-pat Jamie Hosking is hoping some Darwin magic and a good holiday will have rekindled Jay Walking’s race manners when he returns to The Q on Thursday night.

The Fernando Bale and Micks Recall chaser put his trainer in celebration mode in early August when the pair combined to collect the $30,000-to-the-winner Darwin Cup over 537 metres.

“I love going back for the Cup each year,” Hosking said. 

Hosking was born and bred in Darwin and cut his greyhound teeth there before heading south seven years ago.

“Funny thing is, I had to leave Darwin before I could win that Cup (he first saluted there in 2023 with Eagle Monelli)," he said. 

Jay Walking may be the toast of the Northern Territory’s greyhound community, but in the weeks since that Cup win Hosking remains puzzled by the dog’s failure to perform to his potential at The Q.

After winning his first race start, at Capalaba, and then nailing a very slick 29.82 second performance at just his fourth start, at Albion Park, Jay Walking did not climb back atop the victory podium until his recent trip to Darwin.

“When he started out, he always had a lot of early brilliance,” explains Hosking.

“Then something happened at box rise on a wet night at Albion Park and he came out really badly. Since then he seems to have lacked a little bit of confidence.

“He has had a trip away, a bit of time off and is now trialling really well. In fact, he was trialling well before Darwin.

“I looked after Irish Bill for my mate Stephen Whyte during the winter carnival and my bloke was trialling within a couple of lengths of him every time he went around. Right now in races he is not beginning and I can't quite put my finger on why.”

Jay Walking has drawn box eight on Thursday night in a very handy field in a fifth grade race over 520 metres on the Q2 Parklands track.

“I'm not too bothered by the eight,” Hosking said.

“He (Jay Walking) likes to race middle to wide, but it just depends on what the dogs inside of him are doing on that first turn.

“This is a good field and you don't want to give any of these dogs a start. They are just too quick. Jay Walking has also got a high-speed mid-race.

“He trialled near the record at his first look up in Darwin over 383 metres. So, it is no fluke that he won that race. He just needs to get everything right early to be in the race.

“I just hope on Thursday night that he has come back from Darwin a bit more of a race dog than a trial dog.”

Hosking then has a trip to Townsville planned next week, with that city’s Cup in mind. 

The Townsville Cup heats are on September 5 with the decider on September 12.

“Fingers crossed Jay Walking will get around safe on Thursday night and then maybe we’ll go for a bit of a road trip and trial up in Townsville next week,” he said.

“I will take three dogs up for a shot at the Townsville Cup – Non Stop Recall (a litter brother to Jay Walking), Non Stop Tommy and Jay Walking.

“If they trial alright and get the right boxes and right chances, I believe they can be competitive. Non Stop Recall is the one that has been performing in races while Jay Walking has been doing it in trials, but not on the track until Darwin.

“I'm just hoping he brings his trial form to the track on Thursday night.”