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Gary Thorpe with his greyhound Back Page. b

Mike Knott

An energetic Back Page has kept trainer Gary Thorpe on his toes in the lead-up to tomorrow’s Bundaberg Greyhound Racing Club meet.

The Bundaberg bolter started the season in star form, taking out its two first races at Thabeban Park in comfortable fashion, but limped from race three with a devastating wrist injury.

Thorpe said Back Page had lost the limp after a six-week spell on his South Bingera property, but none of his hunger.

“You take him for a walk and he will just about rip your arms right out of their sockets,” he said.

“He’s a freak dog.

“He only knows one speed and that’s flat out.”

The abundance of energy has had a few downsides for Thorpe with the trainer suffering his fair share of scrapes and scratches.

“He’s absolutely going for me and jumping all over me to try and get the lure,” he said.

“I think he can smell the race coming up and he’s hungry for it.”

Thorpe will keep a watchful eye on rival hound All About Foxy but believed Back Page’s fresh legs will be too quick for the competitors.

“He’s been coming along in leaps and bounds and he’s ready to make his return,” he said.

“When he jumps out of the starting gates I don’t think the other dogs are going to be able to get near him.”

The win is crucial for Thorpe to achieve his Bundaberg Cup hopes after the in-form favourite was denied a finals trot last year due to a lure malfunction.

The highly anticipated race lasted only a few seconds with the bunny stopping in its tracks only two metres from the starting gates.“It was pretty disappointing but that’s racing,” he said.

Thorpe will also head north with Back Page in the hope of taking out the Rockhampton Cup.

“It will be full steam ahead and we’re confident he can win one or both,” he said.

The trainer also has Diamond Tulsa competing in race two and the in-form Flying Shak in the race five, mixed QDog final.

Kevin Bryant’s Can Aker Run will prove a handful in the final, as will Jamaican Dance from box one.

The Battlers — dogs that have not won in their past four starts — will get their chance to fly in the final race tomorrow afternoon.

Kevin Kemp has triple the chances of success in the opening race of tomorrow’s meet, with Maddy’s Queen, Glass Eye Joe and Leo’s Dream all starting.

Bundaberg Greyhound Racing will begin at Thabeban Park at 1.30pm tomorrow.