I wrote a story three months ago declaring that if Queensland greyhound trainer Johnny ‘JC’ Catton (pictured at top) could win first up with his dog Little Byrnes at the age of 4 years and 2 months old, after 172 injury enforced days away from the track, he would be a miracle maker.
He wasn’t.
The dog we call the Black Flash ran 6th, beaten over 12 lengths.
It looked like lights out for Little Byrnes after that run, but Catton has never been a man who has given up when faced with obstacles. Bloody hell, he has faced them all his life, they don’t bother him. He sees them as challenges, not stoppers.
Flash disappeared from the track for another 77 days, and then he reappeared at Ipswich in June at age 4 years and 4 months.
It was the same result, 6th again, this time beaten nearly 14 lengths.
It was all over now everyone said, and his owner Matt Cranitch started making arrangements for rehoming him at his joint, even going so far as to extract a commitment from Catton to pay all the expenses including the desexing and vets bills, not that he needed to because JC loves his dogs more than anything in the world, and it was always a given.
The deal was that Cranitch had to agree to allow Catton to give Little Byrnes – which is named after the owners much loved, dearly departed Mum – one last chance. A race that would be the difference between a life on a lounge at Bardon or glory.
That race was yesterday at Ipswich.
Little Byrnes was 4 years and 5 months old as he entered the boxes.
The next youngest dog in the race was just 2 years and 9 months old.
18 months is a lifetime for a greyhound, and no-one thought Catton or his Flash could do it, which is why Little Byrnes blew out in the betting market from $2.50 to $5.50.
He was too old and too injured they all said, Johnny Catton was mad.
All the supposedly good footy judges said the same thing back in the day about JC’s chances of ever playing A-Grade footy too.
Too small, too slow, too chunky, not up to it, they all reckoned.
They obviously didn’t know him very well.
Johnny Catton played A-Grade, joining his Dad who died when he was a kid on the rare honor board.
Little Byrnes won yesterday at Ipswich.
JC is a miracle maker.
He makes the miracles himself.
Never give up.
Never give in.
We can all do magic if we try.
JC and Little Byrnes did.
What an amazing win by the Flash.
What a brilliant training performance by Catton.
What an incredible duo.
Your only limitations are your imagination and your will.
This pair just proved it.
Editor’s note – Little Byrnes ran a time of 24.88 seconds for the 431m. He only winner all day to break the 25.00 mark, and the fastest dog all day by a quarter of a second. The next fastest winner was just half his age.