Chaser taking over with own targets

By Jordan Gerrans

The young chaser might not have the resume of the great galloper just yet, but Townsville conditioner Michael Hickmott thinks Takeover Target has a bright future.

The emerging greyhound carries the same racing name of champion racehorse Takeover Target who won elite sprinting races all over the globe.

The North Queensland dog grabbed his own slice of feature honours for the first time in his short career earlier this month when he claimed the Robert Olsen Final at Townsville.

The annual series for maiden greyhounds has been run in North Queensland for the last decade following the passing of two-time Townsville Cup-winning dog man Robert Olsen.

The greyhound version of Takeover Target is a son of Moving Target who Hickmott prepared to eight victories in Townsville before his retirement in the middle of 2020.

The veteran NQ trainer didn’t think the name for the dog would be approved when he lodged it, but he was glad it was.

“We all know the story about the horse, so it packs a bit of attention,” the trainer said.

“People always talk about it. Even when I go into the track, they say “oh, that was a taxi driver's horse.”

“He's not as good as the horse Takeover Target. But, I'm happy with him.

“I followed the horse, I am a small-time punter, but I love betting on the horses.

“So, I know the horse well and it was a good story to where the owner came from to win the big races he did.”

The former star horse - Takeover Target - raced 41 times for 21 wins – eight at the highest level – including wins and placings in three foreign countries and more than $6 million in prize money.

The gelding was crowned the Doomben 10,000 champion in 2007 as well as a host of other black-type triumphs in the Sunshine State.

Now, back to the dog. 

Takeover Target won a heat of the Robert Olsen series in 22.23 seconds in the middle of last month before claiming the decider in 21.99 seconds over the 380 metre trip.

The black dog will go searching for his third win on the trot on Friday at Townsville’s Showgrounds track when he jumps from the eight alley, again over 380 metres.

“He'll go good on Friday after drawing the eight, he'll enjoy that,” the trainer said.

“There will be plenty of room to move. I think he'll improve in time, but as long as he jumps with him, he'll be right.

“I might put him in the Young Guns series coming up but I just don't think he's ready for it.”

Hickmott was always keen to use Moving Target as a stud dog as his litter brother Stanley Road was a multiple Group 1 champion and raced at the highest level throughout his career.

Moving Target won eight of his 13 starts before he was retired.

“He was a very fast dog,” Hickmott said.

“He equaled a track record up here in Townsville at about his third start and he won the Easter sprint for me and he'd only had four starts. So, I always kept him because he's a nice dog as a pet and also, I wanted to breed him.

“He was such a nice-natured dog too, so I thought he'd breed good pups.

“I get more of a thrill out of racing dogs from my own breeding than what I do from dogs that I have purchased."

In a somewhat unusual mating combination, Hickmott prepared Moving Target and Takeover Target’s mother I'm A Dancer.

“Hopefully the whole litter will become distance dogs,” he said.

“They don't go early. If Takeover Target can run 500 metres, like I think he can, then I'll have some fun with him.”

Hickmott is a former committee man of the Townsville Greyhound Racing Club is one of the longest serving trainers in the region and was at the track when it first opened in 1976.

He claimed Townsville Cup glory back in 2005 with Happy Valentine.

Hickmott heads to the track with five chasers across the Townsville program on Friday with all of his team set to start over 380 metres.