In October last year, Frank Hurst was King Of The World ... the greyhound world at least, After his dog Good Odds Harada won the TAB Million Dollar Chase, the world’s richest greyhound event. Five months later, his world, and that of those closest to him, came crashing down.
An accident at the Richmond track while trialling, saw Frank knocked off his feet by a dog. He broke his collarbone and elbow, both requiring surgery to have plates inserted.
But that wasn’t full extent of the situation, and the diagnosis became far more serious in the following days.
“After the fall, my brother told them I had been knocked out when the dog hit me and I broke my arms, so they did a brain scan,” Hurst explained. “When they did the scan they found I had a tumour on my brain.
“The orthopedic surgeons wouldn’t operate on me and fix my arms because they were worried about me dying under the anesthetic, so I had to get a clearance from the neurosurgeon Before they would operate.
“The neurosurgeon said I would be alright, but he also said as soon as they fix your arms, I’ll have you in here and take the tumour out.
“I got my arms fixed and then, because of COVID, I had to wait a while to get the brain done.
“Eventually I had an eight and half hour operation in Penrith Hospital to remove it. They sent it away and it was non-cancerous thankfully.
“It’s amazing how your world can turn just like that, but look, they said it could come back apparently, but there’s not much to worry about.”
Hurst said he had no previous indication he may have something sinister lurking in his head … although looking back now, he thinks perhaps he may have overlooked some signs.
“It was a pretty big tumour and it was putting pressure on my brain and making my brain swell,” Hurst said. “I thought it was just old age mate.
“Last year I went all over Australia with the dogs. I was everywhere, and some times I was flying, some times driving, but it was full on.
“That’s what I put it down to. I had some symptoms but I just said I’ve been doing so much, I’m a bit tired and I’m getting old … but it wasn’t.
“But the good news is that I got the all clear the other day.”
And last month, his mates came back home too.
When Hurst had his accident, he naturally couldn’t manage training the dogs, so he sent his MDC winner Good Odds Harada, and his brother Good Odds Buddy, to his good friend, leading trainer Sydney Jason Magri.
Both dogs performed well for Magri, then Harada was sent to leading Victorian mentor Anthony Azzopardi for some feature events.
“He won a race down there at The Meadows in early June, but didn’t go crash hot, and didn’t find the line, and then he was in in the final the next week and he went terrible. Anthony and I spoke about it, and we decided that he would come home.
“He’s been back now for four or five weeks, and he sat around here for three weeks, put some weight on him, did some bloods, and we’ve been drawing from him while he’s been out - getting some straws.”
Good Odds Harada will have his first start back for Hurst on Tuesday night at Bulli in a Free-For-All over the 400m.
“Oh, he’s going as good as ever,” Hurst said. “Before he went to Melbourne he trialled 22.14s (at Bulli), and he was in full work, racing 500ms. On Friday After a few slips here at home, a 300m at Richmond where he went good, running 18.50s, then he went 22.2s down there at Bulli on Friday morning.
