In anyone’s terms, 50 years is a long time. Fifty years, that’s around how long it’s been since Athol Bradley first dipped his toe into greyhound racing. Fifty years, that’s also roughly the age in human terms, of Athol’s dog Bralyn Ice, who races at Casino on Thursday afternoon.
Using the equation of 15 human years for the first year, nine for the second and five for the subsequent years, that would make Bralyn Ice just touching 50 ... and still going strong.
Bralyn Ice turned seven back in March, but despite the age, she has lost none of her zest or excitement for racing.
“You soon learn when they don’t want to do it,” Athol said of dogs telling him when they have run their last race. “It’s amazing she is seven and still loving it. Even yesterday and again this morning, I got her out to go to the toilet, and she was running up and down mad like a young pup.
“She loves having a sunbake and running around. She’s a wonderful dog. And she doesn’t have a problem. Sure, she hasn’t won for a while, but that’s fine, she enjoys it.”
Statisticians can’t find a dog older than Bralyn Ice racing in NSW at present. She will be having the 144th start of her career in the final race of the day at Casino, a Masters event over the 411m. It was April 2015 when start number one occurred, also over the 411m at Casino.
“Oh that was a long time ago now,” Athol recalled. “To be honest I don’t remember too much about it.”
He does remember her first win however, although it wasn’t the first at the time. Bralyn Ice is a rare greyhound and now boasts a unique record of having won two maiden races.
Back in October 2105, at her 11th start, Brayln Ice finished second to Sweet Symphony at Casino. Three months later she went to Albion Park and won her maiden.
It wasn’t too long after that, that Athol was notified that Sweet Symphony had been disqualified from the Casino event, and the win – her maiden win – now belonged to Bralyn Ice.
Since then Bralyn Ice has amassed a total of eight wins and 16 placings. It’s a while since that last win, again at Casino, in a Masters event on March 1, 2019, and from box 1, the same box she will exit on Thursday afternoon.
“That was a fantastic day,” Athol vividly recalled. “They were all up there in the stands, cheering her and clapping. She was six then. It was lovely. I know she hasn’t won for a while, but that’s fine, she enjoys it.”
But while that was the last one, Athol doesn’t think it has to be the last one.
“Now this sounds ridiculous, but I give her a bit of a chance,” he said. “If she can get out like she can … look she runs out of a bit of puff, but it is a Masters’ race and I think she has a chance. If she gets a good clear run, she can give them heaps. I think the two (Stop An’ Paws) is the dog to beat.”
Athol doesn’t exactly remember when it was that he got into the sport. He says it was around 50 years ago through friends when he lived in Goulburn.
“I’m 81 now, and that was a long, long time ago,” Athol said. “For as long as I can remember I’ve loved greyhounds. I’ve got four in the kennel now - two are retired and the other two are in the same race on Thursday.”
Athol also trains Real Wicked who by comparison is a young pup at age four, and has box six in the final event at Casino.
And just like Bralyn Ice, Athol is showing no signs of retiring from racing.
“Oh yeah, I just love it. The dogs, they are what keep me going. Like I said, I’m 81, but the dogs, they keep me young.”
