A chance meeting on a South Pacific cruise not only brought Rodney O’Brien back into greyhounds after a break of 18 years hiatus but it also gave the 69-year-old trainer two strong chances in today’s semi-finals of the Bathurst RSL Soldier’s Saddle.
O’Brien has Rubelly Magic in box one and Black Lagoon in seven, with each of the siblings having posted brilliant sectional times in their heat wins.
“I was a truck driver and trained as a hobby during the 1980s and early ‘90s but I had a bad accident when a shop front window collapsed on me and severed just about every tendon in my hands,’’ O’Brien recalled.
“So I had to give work and the greyhounds away.
“A couple of years ago on a cruise I met John and Julie McJannet, who bred greyhounds, we both finished up bidding for some Balmain Tigers rugby league memorabilia.
“I let John buy the framed print of one of the Tigers’ premiership winning teams and in return he vowed to sell me a couple of pups from his brood bitch Lagoon Smylee.
“She had earlier produced Ray and Sharron Webster’s 2013 Ladies Bracelet winner Lagoon Lowanna but John wasn’t sure if she was pregnant.
“He had mated her to Magic Sprite, then a new kid on the stud dog block, but when she did whelp a litter and Magic Sprite ‘took off’ as a sire John honoured his promise and sold me two pups below their real value.
“They are Black Lagoon and Rubelly Magic and while Black Lagoon is a fraction quicker in trials, in the Bathurst heats last Monday Rubelly Magic ran a first split of 4.19 compared with her brother’s time of 4.22.
“Rubelly Magic has box one in her semi so I expect her to lead all the way but Black Lagoon has such good pace he is capable of getting across from his wide draw."
O'Brien, who trains out of a backyard in the Sydney suburb of Blacktown, has enjoyed his time in the sport.
“Best greyhound I have trained was Alias Sue, who won twice at Wentworth Park and gave me a huge buzz by winning the 1989 Moss Vale Winter Cup at the juicy odds of 33/1 ($34).’’
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Trainer Michael Clayton says he has Ray Minty, who prepared 1990 National Derby winner Master Hilo, to thank for brilliant speedster Are Jai Que entering his kennels.
On Wednesday the two-year-old flying machine scored her ninth win from her past 11 starts when she rocketed over the Richmond 400m journey in a personal best 22.42.
Are Jai Que had previously clocked 16.85 at Dapto and 19.79 at Goulburn and will now be set for an upcoming Gosford 400m heat and final series.
“I pre-trained Are Jai Que for her breeder, Ashley Quirk, whose six year old daughter Riley Jay Quirk is the unofficial owner,’’ Clayton said.
“When the pre-training course was completed Ashley phoned Ray Minty to seek his advice on which trainer to give the bitch to and thankfully Ray told him to leave her with me.
“Riley Jay is the apple of her father’s eye and is a keen racegoer, she has been trackside to cheer Are Jai Que on for her past two wins.
“The knockers are saying Are Jai Que won’t run 500 metres but I believe she has a good chance of doing so because she is better over 400m than she is over 300m.’’
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Six months ago Bass Louder, one of the top chances in today’s Bathurst RSL Soldier’s Saddle semi-finals, was facing the prospect of being sold to China for $500.
But owner Grant Miller was reluctant to dispose of the greyhound in that manner and as a last resort asked western districts trainer Kevin Pearce to give her a try-out.
That was a shrewd move because Bass Louder won five races in succession for Pearce, including a slick 29.95 Bathurst win, before a luckless third in a Soldier’s Saddle heat last Monday.
“Bass Louder was very timid when I got him but he gradually got over that," Pearce said.
"He trialled 25.85 for the 450m at Bathurst before he started on his winning streak."
