Nancy Places Her Faith In Closer To Rain

FORREST Beach, outside Ingham in North Queensland, is a couple of hours by car to Townsville and for 76-year-old Nancy Maynard it's becoming a test.

But, while Nancy's star greyhound Closer To Rain (Allen Deed-Fancy Gun) is racing like she is, Nancy will continue to put up with the drive.

Closer To Rain runs in a heat of the 498m Young Guns at Townsville on Tuesday night and comes into the race with seven wins from her past eight starts most of them in FFA company and with an overall record of 12 wins and seven placings in just 27 outings.

FIELDS AND FORM TOWNSVILLE TUESDAY

But she takes on boom Rockhampton bitch Zip Stream (Zipping Garth-Night Time Lover) who has won her past seven and eight of her past nine for the much in-form Ken Boody kennel.

Nancy says Closer To Rain will be the last greyhound she trains.

It is her first for the kennel in a few years.

“We had a break of a couple of years, but then went looking for a new dog,” she said. “We spent a good few months before we bought this bitch who had raced twice for a couple of placings at Richmond.

“It wasn't a top price that we paid for her and Glen McKinley, who owned her, follows her career closely and has said he would like to buy her back for breeding.”

McKinley isn't the only one after her, Nancy admitting she has knocked back some very good offers to buy Closer To Rain. “More than we paid for her,” she said.

Nancy also admits the bitch's performances since coming to Forrest Beach, near Ingham, have surprised her.

“In the past we have bought a lot of dogs from Ben Howe in NSW,” she said. “But we saw this bitch advertised, looked up her runs and then bought her.

“She will certainly be the last dog we have. But, she's such a lovely bitch and we are having a lot of fun with her.

“It's very hot here at the moment and she comes into the house with the air conditioning on.”

Nancy is wary of Rocky visitor Zip Stream the winner of 17 of her 37 starts and beaten only once since arriving in the Boody kennel from Brisbane.

But she comes into the Young Guns heat without race experience on the Townsville track and steps up to 498m for the first time.

“But the Rocky bitch has three vacant boxes around her since a few have been scratched,” pointed out Nancy.

Nancy has been in greyhound racing for only “10 to 15 years”. “I'm a newcomer,” she says.

Equal 380m track record holder, Paulie Walnuts (Fernando Bale-Flyrite) returns to Townsville for his first run since an Albion Park campaign when he contests the other Young Guns heat.

He has drawn box six.

Two runs back he made a successful Albion Park debut winning a 5th Grade heat in 30.50.

He had won six of seven starts at Townville before that trip south for owner-trainer Tony Parker.