JARED DAVIES waited almost three years to train his first winner but it is definitely a moment he will cherish for the rest of his life.
Davies prepared Let’s Do This to win the Steeline Roofing Hobart Juvenile over 340 metres at Tattersall’s Park in Hobart last Thursday night.
Let’s Do This (Give Me Five-Prize Pack) had been placed prior to breaking her maiden status from five previous outings but from box one she made every post a winner.
She began well and hunted up to retain the lead to the top turn and when challenged strongly she responded well and went on to defeat Atropos by a length with first starter Sunday Silence over two lengths away third.
Davies was ecstatic after the race.
“This is just brilliant – I’m over the moon,” Davies said.
“It’s been about three years in the making this win so I guess you’d say it’s overdue,” he said.
Davies, a builder by profession, made his way into greyhounds by chance.
“I was hired by greyhound trainer Laurie Hills to rebuild a house after a fire and one thing led to another,” Davies said.
“All of a sudden I was around greyhounds every day and eventually I took an interest and in the end it was like a drug.”
“I started helping Laurie out by catching and then I took an interest in how he was training them and that was when I got really hooked.”
“I got my trainer’s licence just over three years ago so it has been quite a process to finally get my first winner,” he said.
Davies races Let’s Do This with his good mate Rod Campbell.
They purchased Let’s Do This from the bitch’s breeder Belinda King from Melbourne.
“I had bought a few dogs from Belinda (King) and she contacted me and said she had a pup that we could have and it cost only $800 landed in Tassie,” he said.
Training greyhounds can be very time consuming and Davies has realised you have to be passionate about the game to stick it out.
“When you first get interested it is fun and while it is still fun there is a lot of hard work and dedication required to make it work.”
“I am a hobby trainer and that’s probably what I’ll always be.”
“There’s no doubt training a winner gives you a special buzz – unlike anything else I’ve experienced,” he said.
Davies has only one racing proposition but he also is preparing two pups that have been broken in and there is a plan to lease a race dog in the coming weeks.
“I reckon three or four dogs will be the most I’ll have at any one time.” he said.