Hugh Dougherty to have final crack at Coolangatta Gold before semi-retirement

COOLANGATTA Gold sentimental favourite Hugh Dougherty will enter semi-retirement after his “last serious race’’ on Sunday.

Hugh Dougherty

COOLANGATTA Gold sentimental favourite Hugh Dougherty will enter semi-retirement after his “last serious race’’ on Sunday.

The Tugun coach, 29, has declared he’ll take a backward step from the surf after hopefully claiming his first win in the 41.8km torture test.

Dougherty quit the Kellogg’s series this year to focus on the Gold and full-time work as a plumber and said he’ll ease off even more this summer.

“This will be my last serious race in a way. After this I can back off training a bit,’’ he said.

“I can enjoy it a bit more and have a bit more of a relaxed approach to it.

“I can focus on the Gold knowing that after that I don’t have to keep going.

“Pretty much it is (my last hurrah). That’s one way of looking at it.’’

Dougherty, defending champion Ali Day and veteran Nathan Smith are expected to be the big players on Sunday.

It’s a weakened field following the withdrawal of five-time winner Caine Eckstein and Dougherty said his preparation had been flawless despite a ``monotonous’’ training program.

“I haven’t had any injuries or anything,’’ he said.

“There’s been a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. The training starts to get a bit monotonous after a while.

“When I did the race six or seven years ago (finished 10th) I didn’t really train properly for it or put in enough work.

Hugh Dougherty

“I’ve been more thorough with my training and approach to everything.

“Hopefully I’ve done the work to get it.’’

The opening ski leg is set to be blistering with Smith and the likes of Michael Booth and Brendon Sarson to go out hard.

Dougherty, who sparked talk in surf circles this week after saying Day only entered because of Eckstein’s withdrawal, said he had a race plan in his head and it revolved around staying with the lead pack.

“I’ve got a plan in my head about where I want to be at certain stages but in saying that, you have to take it as it comes,’’ he said.

“You can’t plan these things too much.nte

“I want to be within striking distance coming into the last run because I feel like I’m running pretty well. If I’m thereabouts I feel like I’ve got a chance.

“Smithy has got everything but the ski and swim in the first half of his race will be very strong. Hopefully I can stay with him.

“It’s a special race with a lot of history about it. It’d be pretty special to win it.’’

Dougherty said the weakened field was a reason he was being talked about as a contender.

“The last few years there hasn’t been a great deal of depth in the race,’’ he said.

“I thought there might have been a little bit of interest when I said I’d have a go at it.

“I wanted to keep a pretty low profile. I didn’t want to tell everyone about it or make big statements.’’