Ray Neville, the last survivor among the great trainers of greyhound racing's glory days of the 1960s, has passed away, aged 91.
During those years, along with fellow legendary conditioners like Billy Fletcher, Arthur Wright, Stan Cleverley, Neville Ballinger and Hec Watt, Neville's champion greyhounds such as Satyr Rocket, Only Ten and Top Kabana thrilled crowds of up to 14,000 at Wentworth and Harold Parks.
Living at Botany, a mere 13km from Sydney's two greyhound tracks, Neville trained Satyr Rocket to win the 1965 Bi-Annual Classic (later Peter Mosman Classic) at Harold Park and the 1967 Sydney Cup at Wentworth Park with his champion front-running stayer Only Ten.
When training for retired professional athlete Ernie Mobbs, Neville prepared the likes of Top Kabana, who at one stage held the Harold Park 500 yards (457m) record for a maiden performer, along with that dog's litter brothers, Black Marine and Top Claret, outstanding sprinters who were especially successful on the old WYONG straight track.
Long-time friend Lance Day said: "Ray had a knee replacement at 90 and six months later was mowing lawns.
"But when he passed away he went quickly.
"Like many of the old time trainers, Ray had graduated to greyhounds after initially being a successful pigeon racer,
"I think Only Ten was his favourite greyhound because she had so many duels with Zoom Top, probably the most famous greyhound of them all.
"Whenever Only Ten happened to beat Zoom Top, Ray was over the moon.''
Ray and his late wife Bev's sons Stephen (deceased) and Darryl were very capable South Sydney rugby league players while he was a mentor to dozens of young greyhound trainers.
As a young journalist I was given an "exclusive" story by Ray when his champion bitch Only Ten was stolen from his Botany kennels in an overnight raid.
My "scoop" complete with photo of the damaged, empty kennel, adorned the entire back page of Sydney afternoon newspaper the Daily Mirror.
Only Ten was safely recovered, with the "break in" the result of an apprent ownership dispute over the greyhound.
Ray Neville was among the last of the sport's great characters, and GRNSW wishes to extend its deepest condolences to his huge circle of friends and his large extended family.
