Because his dad Clayton already had the dog breeding covered and had been producing racing pups for years.
With Travis absorbing the culture at his knee and developing a real passion for the business, he has finally taken the plunge and a few months ago received his training licence.
He backed that up last Thursday with his first winner when Bongino saluted over 385 m at Shepparton.
That’s a buzz Travis won’t likely forget for some time.
“My first runner finished fifth, and the next one fell and has to have some time off, but Bongino really delivered the goods in her first run,” he said.
“And I didn’t have a cent on her (she paid $7.30) because going into the race I hadn’t been all that confident.
“But when she hit the front I knew she was going to go all the way. It was a really special moment.”
Mind you, Travis has to do a fair bit of racing around himself — as well as being a greyhound trainer, he is a full-time university student and holds down a job at Ryan & McNulty Sawmill.
“I don’t think I could do it all without help from Dad and Mum (Michelle) because they help with the dogs while I am at work and uni. And now that is all remote learning, I am back home until at least next year, so I will be able to work with the dogs every day,” he said.
While the dish-lickers are a long way from the thoroughbreds and the sport of kings, in Benalla there is a much closer relationship.
The Benalla Racing Club makes its 300 m straight available for dog trials several times a week and Travis and Clayton are there every other day putting dogs through their paces.
“You get them down one end and let them rip up the straight,” Travis said.
“It helps that Dad has got a hell of a big whistle, it really gets the dogs going.”
In between speed trials there is a lot of walking the Benalla streets, making sure his dogs keep loose and keep moving.
“And it’s pretty good for me too, getting some exercise of my own,” Travis said.
Travis said the trick to succeeding at greyhound racing was to start with a fit and healthy dog showing some natural ability and then work with it every day.
“You can’t go into it half-a*sed,” he said. “From there it is just hard work. I know it sounds corny. but hard work works.”
So far in his short training career it is doing pretty well for Travis, who will be back at Shepparton on Thursday night with his black bitch Ramona.
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