Mick Boody is hoping litter’s potential blooms in Rocky Young Guns heats

By Pat McLeod

Wily Central Queensland trainer Mick Boody is hoping potential translates to performance for his home-bred litter in Wednesday night’s Rockhampton Young Guns heats. 

“I won’t be surprised if we get the whole six from that litter through to the Final,” he said of the Whiskey Riot and Butterfly Is She runners.

“But, what I hope for and what actually happens in a race aren’t always the same."

Mick and wife Amber have four of the litter mates across the two Young Guns heats – Early Supper and Jaggery in the first heat (race seven) and Whiskey Tango and Sergeant Green in the second heat (race eight).

Their nephew Ken Boody also has two from that litter contesting the heats – Tijuana Two Step and Tijuana Twinkle.

Mick explains that the litter shows plenty of potential, but he is waiting for that to bloom fully on the track.

Of the 11 pups from the litter to have raced only two are yet to win.

“I am not disappointed with the litter,” he says.

“They are showing something, but that hasn’t really been evident on the track yet.

“They haven’t a lot of early speed, but the further they go the better they are finishing. Only time will tell, but I won’t be surprised if many of them end up going to Brisbane to race over 600 or 700 metres. 

“They are also starting to mature more as race dogs and are improving with each run.”

Mick says Jaggery and Tijuana Two Step were the better chances from this litter over the 510 metre heats.

“With many young dogs they don’t show all of what they can do until they have had a number of starts," the trainer said. 

“I am predicting that will be the case with these ones.

"The penny is just starting to drop with several of them.

“Their mother (Butterfly Is She) didn’t win a race until her 36^th start, mostly at Albion Park. Although she ran a heap of placings.

“She then won five of her next 17 races. When she retired, I decided to breed from her and eventually used a Whiskey Riot straw that I had.

“This continues a breeding line that has been successful for us across a lot of years. Not always the fastest dogs, although some have been, but they are tough and durable.

“Not much use having fast dogs that are always back in the kennels injured.”

Although Mick has plenty of chances on Wednesday night with that litter, his best hope isn’t among them.

He rates promising youngster Out The Bottle (box seven in the second heat) as his best chance.

“He was a little knocked around when he came back from a trip down south (for the $100,000-to-the-winner Golden Chase at Ipswich where he ran fourth in the Final),” Mick said.

“But, he is fine now, ready to go. If he doesn’t win this Final, whoever beats him will win.”

To date, Out The Bottle has had 16 starts for four wins and six placings and $23,200 in prize money.

Mick predicts Steven Scott’s Farmor Casual to be the biggest danger to the Boody chasers in the Young Guns heats.