He may not be the biggest name in greyhounds but you are unlikely to find a harder worker than Robert Smith.
Smith, who has Lochinvar Impact going in the latest leg of the GBOTA Challenge Sprint Series (515m) at Gosford on Tuesday night, has been working with dogs for about 40 years.
He is also a former swimming coach and has never left anything to chance, whether in the pool or on the track.
“I like how you have to get the dog to perform at its peak at the right time,” Smith said.
“If there is a race in three months time, you need to start preparing for it now.
“I’m not a professional trainer but I just think you need to be as professional as possible.”
Smith started working with greyhounds as a lad growing up in the Lake Macquarie region.
“Back then in it seemed every second house in Swansea had a dog,” he said.
“I got the bug and I started with the old blokes working in kennels and progressed from there.”
Smith, who now works out of Barnsley, close to Newcastle, said he prides himself on getting the best out of his dogs.
“I like the dogs and the competition,” he said.
“I like teaching the dogs and seeing the improvement in them.
“It’s about getting them to race the right way and avoiding bad habits.
“I like to win and this gives me the opportunity to do that.”
Smith is also confident of another victory for his promising charge, who starts from box three at the twilight meeting.
Lochinvar Impact has made a decent start to his career, with six wins and two other placings from his first 10 starts.
He disappointed in the Centrebet Goldmine Final at Gosford last month but returned to form with success at the Unibet Gardens last time out.
Smith believes Lochinvar Impact will stay around the 515m and has the potential to eventually go to the higher grades.
“There is a good dog (Princess Syrene) in box eight,” Smith said. “If he cuts across him, it might be a problem.
“I think that (Lochinvar Impact) has a decent chance of winning.
“He has got the ability. He just needs the experience.”
The race is fourth on the 10-strong calendar and goes at 8.39m.
The meeting starts at 7pm.
