Tzouvelis: Luck the key ingredient for Townsville Cup success

By Pat McLeod

Tom Tzouvelis may have a ‘best trainer’ award and the track record holder, but he admits that’s not enough to win the Group 2 Townsville Cup on Friday night.

“With a corner start, you need luck,” the Park Ridge trainer said.

“As good a dog as you can have, a corner start can negate that pretty quickly.

“Townsville has the corner start, so luck is crucial. You have just got to hope that your dog can negotiate the track early and find a good spot.”

Tzouvelis, who was named Trainer Of The Year at the recent Nationals awards in Brisbane, certainly has the dog, Daysea’s Rory, to provide the base for a winning Cup formula.

The Sennachie and Nikki Nettle chaser showed his Group-winning class to rein in runaway leader Winnie Rumble and hit the line in front by five-and-a-quarter lengths in the new track record time of 28.17 seconds. 

“When the lids went up, I immediately thought, ‘We’ve got an early trip home. We aren’t making any Finals’,” Tzouvelis said.

“For him (Daysea’s Rory) to win that race, let alone break the record, was remarkable. He has been doing tremendously for us for a long time and the heat run just franked why he is such a good dog.

“The dog that led in Rory’s heat, Mark Partland’s Winnie Rumble, she had gone 28.37 seconds just a few weeks ago.

“She is quality, so it was not as though he was chasing a slow dog. When he picked that dog up so easily I knew that he went well, but you don't imagine that he has broken the record.

“Normally when a dog breaks a record, they jump to the front and do everything right. You can tell by the margin to the third dog just how quick the first two dogs were going. It was about 15 lengths between first and third.”

Tzouvelis, who is staying with local trainer Tony Parker while in Townsville, said Daysea’s Rory’s incredible past 12 months was based on high-end consistency.

“We decided that Townsville fitted into our program for Rory ideally after the Nationals,” he said.

“So, I flew him up and trialled him at Townsville before the Finals of the Nationals.

“Being the first reserve for the Nationals (Sprint Final) we were committed to not being able to race anywhere else. So, we just took that opportunity to go to Townsville.

“Rory is at the peak of his powers at the moment. He is racing really well. Now it is just a matter of luck. I believe he was a little bit stiff in the Final of the state Nationals.

“He got held up and Cumbria Jack just got him. Then you look at what Cumbria Jack did to Tim Zoo and Flying Zulu (in the National Sprint Final).

“That only confirms Rory’s form. We got the dog in September last year and he has done really well since then. 

“He has been a tremendous performer. So very consistent over a long period of time. He has the ability to win this; he just needs a clear run.

"But, you can't take anything for granted.”

Tzouvelis said the biggest danger in a very strong Townville Cup field was Travis Elson’s Pop’s Maestro, who won his heat in a slick 28.31 seconds. 

“Travis’ dog looks like he is Group quality,” he said.

“He’s a very good pup coming through and I know that Travis has a very big opinion of him. He has run brilliant times at The Q. He has run brilliant times in Townsville, so it is no fluke that he is the dog to beat.

“Travis will have him in cotton wool all week and will make sure that he is right for Friday. He would be the dog you would be following out of this race.

“But, the whole field has ability, including the three Townsville runners."

Tzouvelis said the general quality of race dogs in Townsville has certainly risen in just the last few years.

“In years gone by you would not see many locals breaking 28.70 seconds. Now there are dogs regularly breaking 28.50 seconds here," he said. 

“The three locals in the Final are all impressive.

“Spa (trained by Rhonda Essery) has a big motor. Hopefully Fast (Ross Rudall), well I was particularly impressed with that dog in the heat.

“It ran Super Scrub down and we all know the quality of that dog.

“Brad Belford’s dog, Time Passages, was glued to the rail in the Wildcard and I would say it is perfectly boxed in the red.”

Tzouvelis, who has won two Townsville Cups – Gadsby’s Road (2017) and last year with Scarlatti – also has Zipping Sweeny in this year’s Final.

“Zipping Sweeny is really well drawn out in the seven,” he said.

“He wasn't particularly well drawn in the heat coming out of the two because the dog is desperate for a middle-to-wide draw and he has finally got one.

“His heat was vastly improved from his first look at the track when I slipped him. I am hoping that his third run will be even better than his heat run.

“He will get his chance out wide. Like a few other dogs in the race, he will have to have a few things go right for him, but you just hope for the best.”