Peter McCann, who trains recent Wentworth Park winner Rained, is one of a kind in the world of greyhound racing.
Peter is the last remaining trainer living in Glebe, the suburban home of greyhound racing since Australia’s first mechanical lure meeting was held "over the hill" at Harold Park, in 1927.
It’s a far cry from the 1950s, 60s and 70s, when, according to Peter, "everyone in Glebe either had greyhounds or racing pigeons."
The traditionally working class suburb’s demographics have changed so much Peter now has to exercise his two-dog team - the other member is Rained’s litter brother Dad’s Ambition - at 3.30am daily.
"I walk them six or seven kilometres until around 4.50am each day, any later and I have to contend with the domestic dogs running loose on the streets," said Peter.
"And I don’t attempt to venture out with the greyhounds in the afternoon.
"I was born in Glebe in 1950 and have lived there all my life.
"My father Jack was a greyhound trainer but he died when I was only six years old.
"But I still grew up with greyhounds because my older brother Ken , who still breeds a few each year in Adelaide, trained greyhounds too.
"My dad’s best greyhounds, in the late 1940s, were Coon’s Heir, a Harold Park winner, and Super Bug, who was a brother to a topnotcher called Bug Again.
"Dad was a close associate of Cliffy Abrahams, a famous trainer, and while I learned the basics from my brother Ken, by the time I was a teenager I was strApping for Jim Kenny, a Glebe trainer who had 10 dogs in work.
"When I was 15 I had scraped up enough pocket money to buy my first puppy, which I bought from Sid Shackleton, the original curator of the Appin straight track and who owned Chief Holly, later to win the 1977 National Derby, when trained by Les Brien.
"The bitch I bought off Sid was Mitzy Mac, who was by the great sire Rocket Mac, and she gave me my first winner in a 700m mixed stake at Goulburn.
"Of course at 15 I was too young to be listed as owner-trainer so Mitzy Mac raced in the name of my mother, Sally McCann.
"In those days I walked greyhounds around Glebe with trainers like Barry Williams, Kevin Nesbitt, Bob Turner and a real character called ROY Gordon.
"When I was having trouble putting condition on Mitzy Mac, ROY advised me to feed her mutton flaps, and it worked.
"My first city winner was New To Me, in the late 1970s, but my best was Single Hit, who won the WINTER Maiden Classic at Wentworth Park but who broke down before reaching his full potential.
"My biggest win was in a Rising Star Final over 720m at Wentworth Park with Little Receiver, but I’m still waiting for a group race winner.
"The only break I’ve had from training was during a period when I worked long hours as warehouse manager of a furniture company.
"The best sprinters I have seen are Brother Fox, Worth Doing and Brett Lee, with Zoom Top, Bunyip Bint and Travel Rev the finest stayers.
"I was a huge fan of the old Harold Park track and while I’m not too keen on Wenty I go there because of the prizemoney.
"Richmond would be my favourite course these days.
"When it comes to trainers I have tremendous respect for Jason Mackay and Robert Smith, who trained Miss Elly Mint, while for winning strike rates I can’t go past Kim Hyde and her partner Mike Glasson.
"They place their greyhounds well and don’t hang on to any rubbish.
"My two dogs Rained and Dad’s Ambition, which are out of a handy bitch I trained called Cold Ethyl, have ability but are slow early.
"When Rained won over 520m at Wentworth Park on January 17 his run home time was 11.78, exceptional for a fifth grader.
"There is nothing between Rained and Dad’s Ambition, who has been injured but will be back racing in a fortnight.
"The only dog to ever run Rained down was Dad’s Ambition, who gave him a start and beat him one night in a trial at Gosford."
