Straight track sensation Shall Not has finished the 2023 calendar year with more wins than any other NSW-based greyhound.
The four-year-old speedster greeted the judge first on 22 occasions last season, but one win stood out among the rest for owner and former rugby league star, Terry Hill.
“Winning the Straight Of Origin was the best. I said pre-race I was happy to shout the whole bar if he won that day and I bought plenty of drinks after that victory.”
“The last six or seven years I’ve been the NSW coach for the greyhounds State of Origin series at Albion Park so I was happy to be in QLD promoting that, then a few days later we went to Capalaba for the straight track race. It was just a great event and he ran super.”
The son of Barcia Bale’s other 2023 highlights included a 13-win streak midway through the year, a second-placed effort in the NSW Straight Track Championship final, and a fourth in the Group 3 National Straight Track Championship to Victorian gun Unleash Collinda.
Hill thrilled with Shall Not’s performances but reserving the highest praise for trainer Darren Sultana.
Darren Sultana leads Shall Not onto the track at Richmond
“Darren’s done such a great job with him. I know his main job is breaking in greyhounds, but he’s got a great rapport with everyone he deals with, he knows how to get the best out of a dog, and he’s a gentleman,” Hill said.
“We have a great relationship whether the dogs are winning or losing. Darren is just an all-round nice bloke and it’s been an unbelievable effort to have Shall Not win so many races this year.”
Shall Not only tasting defeat on seven occasions in 2023 from his 29 race starts to sit tenth in Australia for most wins across the year, with Victorian Silver Brute topping the list with 28 triumphs.
Shall Not becoming the third chaser from brood bitch, Hillary, to earn more than $100,000 in prizemoney for Hill and business partner George Kairouz in the process.
“It’s a great achievement [to win the most races of any other chaser in NSW]. He had a little rough patch as well for a few months and was out with injury, but now Darren’s sorted that out and the dog has won his last five straight.”
“And he’s been up and racing at the top level for so long. To win one race in this game is a thrill, but to win almost every second Saturday for a whole year, it’s a great training feat by Darren.”
Terry Hill (R) alongside Shaun Evans at Dapto in 2023
The 2023 success of Shall Not even more impressive considering the exact same Sultana/Hill/Kairouz combination dominated the 2022 straight track season with Mr. America.
“We didn’t think we’d ever get another dog like Mr. America but I think Shall Not might be better,” Hill said.
“At the end of the day, I’m a broken-down old footballer who just loves the dogs. My job is to put the ball in the trainers’ hands and let them score a try for me. Darren has done that a lot in the last few years and I’m very grateful.”
Shall Not will next go up the Richmond Straight on Tuesday, January 2 in search of his first win of 2024.
But beyond that, Hill is looking forward to watching a new litter emerge in the New Year.
“We’ve got a few nice pups with Peter Lagogiane who are by Need My Moneynow out of Wild Marilyn and it’s been a good group so far (15 wins and 11 placings from 37 combined starts),” Hill said.
“Wild Banker has had the most starts, 13 for eight wins. Wild Milly, Wild Reggie and Wilder have all won. But Peter thinks Kettle Head could be a superstar. He’s had three starts for a win and two placings and might go to the National Derby heats in a few weeks.”
“We’ve also got an unraced one called Wild Terry, but I’m not a massive fan of its name to be honest.”
