Buck Sends Swain Back To The ‘Future'

DECORATED conditioner Sid Swain celebrated another victory at Group 1 level at Wentworth Park on Saturday night following Buck's Future's all-the-way triumph in the $75,000 to-the-winner Ladbrokes-sponsored Paws Of Thunder Final (520m).

16 years on from Cyrus The Virus' memorable Group 1 Golden Easter Egg triumph, Swain – who at the time called Box Hill home before relocating to Clarence in 2015 – had a rampaging Buck's Future trained to the minute for Saturday night's showpiece decider, leading from barrier to box in a slick 29.80 from box seven, defeating a fast-finishing Cash Point by three-quarters-of-a-length.

Regarded among the state's top conditioners across a training career spanning the best part of five decades, Saturday night's success proved a rather emotional one for Swain, having assumed the training duties of Buck's Future from son Dean last September, after the 2016 Metropolitan Trainer Of The Year was sidelined for a positive swab result midway through last year.

"It was great to win the race for Dean and Danielle and of course the dog's owner Bobby Jones who has been a terrific supporter of the kennels," said a delighted Swain in the aftermath of Buck's Future's Group 1 victory at the weekend.

"It's been a pretty tough time, Dean got very depressed with everything that's gone on recently and at one stage he wanted to close up shop completely and send all the dogs back and I said to him with some time he'll see things differently – training greyhounds is in his blood.

"I urged him to keep Bob's dogs (Buck's Future and Watch The Wasp) as he'll never find another owner as supportive as he is and thankfully he listened to me and sent the two dogs up here for me to train.

"He's always been able to run but this dog has really taken off now. From when Dean had him to now we've worked out a few of his quirks which have really brought him along. He's a funny dog, behind the boxes he can almost switch off on you so I've made a point of revving him up when he goes into the boxes and take his collar off as late as possible – it's switched him right on and brought him out a lot better, he had a habit of resting against the back of the boxes before."

Seldom without a handy one in his kennels, having trained sprinters the caliber of Group 1 National Derby winner Sure As and Group 2 Richmond Derby hero Cool Flight, Swain will head to The Meadows Saturday week with Buck's Future (Buck Fever x Midnight News), with an assault on the upcoming Group 1 Australian Cup Series firmly on the radar.

"I'd say to get a run in the Temlee (February 16) I'd need to at least take him down and trial this week but I won't be doing that – they generally only put one NSW dog in the race and Beast Unleashed looks to have that spot, he'll start there on February 2 without a look at the track," said a blunt Swain.

"He ripped the inside of a pad off in the run Saturday night and also hit his leg so I had to drain the fluid out when I got home – he lost a bit in his run home (time) from the previous week so I'd say he's probably done it in the run which makes the win even better."

And whilst the scenes at Wentworth Park on Saturday night after Buck's Future's Paws Of Thunder victory were something to behold for Swain, with well-wishers coming from left, right and centre, the hours following provided the veteran trainer with even greater satisfaction.

"Danielle and the kids were there Saturday night and on the way home we stopped to give the dog some tea so Dean and Bobby could see the dog, they were over the moon which was great to see," added Swain.

"Dean and Bobby went to Riverstone RSL to watch the race and Bobby shouted the bar after the dog won – he's great for the sport, he puts a lot of money in so to get a result for them means a lot.”