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Murder and the mateship that went to the dogs
"Johnny" Zdenek Setek was not used to winning. His marriage had broken down, he drifted through a succession of dead end jobs and his attempts to get rich through gold mining had failed but there was one thing in life which showed him he wasn't a loser.
Super Dux his star greyhound.
Setek had been connected with greyhounds for more than 20 years and he knew all about false promise and shattered dreams. But this time it would be different. Super Dux was strong, quick and loved to run. And the veteran dog trainer could see something else the dog had heart and a winner's spirit.
For six years Setek lived in the bush in his old caravan. It was going nowhere and neither was he.
For most of that time he had used basic machinery to move tonnes of earth and rock at his small mining claim in the Kingower State Forest near Inglewood. It was off the same road where the 27 kilo Hand of Faith nugget was found a decade earlier, van cleef bracelets knock off but he was to find he was in the right place at the wrong time.
Setek, 60, would occasionally find a small nugget, which he would swap for groceries at a local store. He kept a small, water filled jar containing a few specks of gold as if to prove there was still hope of that big win.
In reality, he was just managing to survive on fortnightly welfare payments. But those who knew him said he hadn't lost his passion for life.
He had a Doberman, a greyhound bitch, Royal Vintage, and eight pups. But Super Dux was his favourite.
Super Dux was no canine version of Phar Lap but the dog showed promise it had finished third in his first start and won its last two races in Horsham and Shepparton.
Had Setek been a cunning punter, he would have tried to talk down his dog to improve the odds. But he was an enthusiast. He told everybody about Super Dux and urged them to back it at its next start Shepparton on August 19, 1993.
He was so confident the usually conservative local policeman gave him $5 to bet on the dog.
Setek was one of thousands of young men who fled post war Europe for Australia. He was just 17 when he arrived in 1949 but he could not settle in his adopted country. In 1965, he returned to Czechoslovakia where he married Miladia, who had two children from a previous marriage. They moved to Holland, but in 1969 they sailed to Melbourne then moved to Bonegilla and on to Bethanga. They had a daughter but separated after four unhappy years of marriage.
Setek told friends he fought the Nazis when he was 14 and had been fighting to make a living ever since. He drifted through Australia, working as a truck driver, crane operator, chef and builder. In 1987 he moved to Inglewood and squatted in his dilapidated caravan off Ironbark Dam Road. Locals began to call the area Setek's Hut. It was illegal but a state copy van cleef and arpels bracelet mining warden convinced Goldquest Mining to allow Setek to live there in return for acting as a caretaker on the property.
He was cunning and resourceful, supplementing his age pension with small amounts of cash from scrap and illegally selling firewood. Setek spent more on food for his dogs than himself, living on budget cuts of meat and making his own grappa. Super Dux was fed on a diet of steak.
In 1992, Russell Morgan Harrod, then 66, moved to the area and the two battlers found they shared an interest in greyhounds. The divorced builder from Carlton and the European immigrant became close friends. Harrod said he became co trainer of Super Dux on the promise of half the winnings.
On the morning of August 19, 1993, Harrod drove to Ironbark Dam Road. He said Setek was still asleep so he massaged the star greyhound and fed the dog steak. Super Dux was to race at Shepparton that night.
The dog looked fit and ready. He had been trained the bush way chasing a lure attached to Setek's battered Ford panel van.
The two put Super Dux in the back of Setek's van and drove into town. The first stop was the butcher, where Setek asked shop manager Adrian Starr for $500 to back the dog. Starr knocked him back.
Setek popped in to get his mail, telling postmistress, Marie Ralph, that Super Dux would win that night. They then stopped at Ray Stagg's garage for fuel for the round trip.
When they got to the races they paid the $2 kennel fee and bought a round of pies for dinner while the bookies set up. It wasn't to be Super Dux's night. He finished second last.
It is here that the story of two battlers with a star dog takes a turn into lies, mystery, deceit and greed.
According to Harrod, they loaded Super Dux into the van, but Setek saw an old friend a man known only as Maurie, an Italian looking man with a large moustache. They talked for 30 minutes before parting. No one at the track would be able to recall seeing the mysterious Maurie.
The next day Setek and Harrod worked for nearly six hours building permanent concrete dog runs at Setek's property. The greyhound owner clearly planned to continue van cleef bracelet imitation living at his basic squat.
According to Harrod they had dinner together and watched television in the caravan before parting for the night. At 8.15 the next morning, Harrod went back to the property. With a remarkable eye for detail, he told police five months later that Setek was dressed in a "brown suit, brown pork pie hat, brown shoes and blue tie. He had his brown suitcase in his hand".
"He told me he was going to Tasmania with Maurie for a week's holiday. I nearly fell over because this was the first I had heard about it. I asked about his dogs and he just said, 'I'll be right.' By this, I thought he meant I was going to look after everything for him," said Harrod.
They drove to Bendigo in Setek's van. He got out at the post office and said Maurie was going to pick him up there. It was 9.15am. "I haven't seen Johnny since that day," Harrod said. And nobody else has.
Harrod would later claim his partner first rang to say he was staying another fortnight, then rang again a week later. "He said he had bad news, he was staying in Tassie permanently. He got a job training dogs and he was now in Launceston. He told me to sell everything and put the money into building my house. He told me he wanted $1500 for Super Dux, $300 for each pup and $9000 for his Fiat Bulldozer."
The bulldozer turned out to be owned by someone else. Harrod tried to sell the caravan for $2000. Then he moved it on to his property where he was building a house. He took Setek's tools and clothes and drove his van.
He sold Super Dux and the pups for less than $2000. Super Dux would never win again. Within weeks of Setek disappearing everything he owned had been sold or used.
"Johnny" Zdenek Setek was not used to winning. His marriage had broken down, he drifted through a succession of dead end jobs and his attempts to get rich through gold mining had failed but there was one thing in life which showed him he wasn't a loser.
Super Dux his star greyhound.
Setek had been connected with greyhounds for more than 20 years and he knew all about false promise and shattered dreams. But this time it would be different. Super Dux was strong, quick and loved to run. And the veteran dog trainer could see something else the dog had heart and a winner's spirit.
For six years Setek lived in the bush in his old caravan. It was going nowhere and neither was he.
For most of that time he had used basic machinery to move tonnes of earth and rock at his small mining claim in the Kingower State Forest near Inglewood. It was off the same road where the 27 kilo Hand of Faith nugget was found a decade earlier, van cleef bracelets knock off but he was to find he was in the right place at the wrong time.
Setek, 60, would occasionally find a small nugget, which he would swap for groceries at a local store. He kept a small, water filled jar containing a few specks of gold as if to prove there was still hope of that big win.
In reality, he was just managing to survive on fortnightly welfare payments. But those who knew him said he hadn't lost his passion for life.
He had a Doberman, a greyhound bitch, Royal Vintage, and eight pups. But Super Dux was his favourite.
Super Dux was no canine version of Phar Lap but the dog showed promise it had finished third in his first start and won its last two races in Horsham and Shepparton.
Had Setek been a cunning punter, he would have tried to talk down his dog to improve the odds. But he was an enthusiast. He told everybody about Super Dux and urged them to back it at its next start Shepparton on August 19, 1993.
He was so confident the usually conservative local policeman gave him $5 to bet on the dog.
Setek was one of thousands of young men who fled post war Europe for Australia. He was just 17 when he arrived in 1949 but he could not settle in his adopted country. In 1965, he returned to Czechoslovakia where he married Miladia, who had two children from a previous marriage. They moved to Holland, but in 1969 they sailed to Melbourne then moved to Bonegilla and on to Bethanga. They had a daughter but separated after four unhappy years of marriage.
Setek told friends he fought the Nazis when he was 14 and had been fighting to make a living ever since. He drifted through Australia, working as a truck driver, crane operator, chef and builder. In 1987 he moved to Inglewood and squatted in his dilapidated caravan off Ironbark Dam Road. Locals began to call the area Setek's Hut. It was illegal but a state copy van cleef and arpels bracelet mining warden convinced Goldquest Mining to allow Setek to live there in return for acting as a caretaker on the property.
He was cunning and resourceful, supplementing his age pension with small amounts of cash from scrap and illegally selling firewood. Setek spent more on food for his dogs than himself, living on budget cuts of meat and making his own grappa. Super Dux was fed on a diet of steak.
In 1992, Russell Morgan Harrod, then 66, moved to the area and the two battlers found they shared an interest in greyhounds. The divorced builder from Carlton and the European immigrant became close friends. Harrod said he became co trainer of Super Dux on the promise of half the winnings.
On the morning of August 19, 1993, Harrod drove to Ironbark Dam Road. He said Setek was still asleep so he massaged the star greyhound and fed the dog steak. Super Dux was to race at Shepparton that night.
The dog looked fit and ready. He had been trained the bush way chasing a lure attached to Setek's battered Ford panel van.
The two put Super Dux in the back of Setek's van and drove into town. The first stop was the butcher, where Setek asked shop manager Adrian Starr for $500 to back the dog. Starr knocked him back.
Setek popped in to get his mail, telling postmistress, Marie Ralph, that Super Dux would win that night. They then stopped at Ray Stagg's garage for fuel for the round trip.
When they got to the races they paid the $2 kennel fee and bought a round of pies for dinner while the bookies set up. It wasn't to be Super Dux's night. He finished second last.
It is here that the story of two battlers with a star dog takes a turn into lies, mystery, deceit and greed.
According to Harrod, they loaded Super Dux into the van, but Setek saw an old friend a man known only as Maurie, an Italian looking man with a large moustache. They talked for 30 minutes before parting. No one at the track would be able to recall seeing the mysterious Maurie.
The next day Setek and Harrod worked for nearly six hours building permanent concrete dog runs at Setek's property. The greyhound owner clearly planned to continue van cleef bracelet imitation living at his basic squat.
According to Harrod they had dinner together and watched television in the caravan before parting for the night. At 8.15 the next morning, Harrod went back to the property. With a remarkable eye for detail, he told police five months later that Setek was dressed in a "brown suit, brown pork pie hat, brown shoes and blue tie. He had his brown suitcase in his hand".
"He told me he was going to Tasmania with Maurie for a week's holiday. I nearly fell over because this was the first I had heard about it. I asked about his dogs and he just said, 'I'll be right.' By this, I thought he meant I was going to look after everything for him," said Harrod.
They drove to Bendigo in Setek's van. He got out at the post office and said Maurie was going to pick him up there. It was 9.15am. "I haven't seen Johnny since that day," Harrod said. And nobody else has.
Harrod would later claim his partner first rang to say he was staying another fortnight, then rang again a week later. "He said he had bad news, he was staying in Tassie permanently. He got a job training dogs and he was now in Launceston. He told me to sell everything and put the money into building my house. He told me he wanted $1500 for Super Dux, $300 for each pup and $9000 for his Fiat Bulldozer."
The bulldozer turned out to be owned by someone else. Harrod tried to sell the caravan for $2000. Then he moved it on to his property where he was building a house. He took Setek's tools and clothes and drove his van.
He sold Super Dux and the pups for less than $2000. Super Dux would never win again. Within weeks of Setek disappearing everything he owned had been sold or used.
The Wall