Most form analysts thought Sid Swain was crazy for even nominating Manyana Groper for the Sportingbet Paws Of Thunder but the dog defied the experts to win his way through to Saturday night’s Group 1 final at Wentworth Park.
"We’re probably making up the numbers in the final but we were doing that in the heats," Sid said.
"Manyana Groper won his heat in 29.91 and I’ve always believed him capable of getting down to 29.80 at Wentworth Park but there’s no way he can run anywhere near the 29.50 heat by Veyron Bale or Double Twist’s 29.56.
"My dog is no world beater but has a motor and loves running through on the inside of his rivals so box two is great."
Manyana Groper will be Sid Swain’s first Paws Of Thunder finalist, although his son DEAN had Unopposed in the 2002 final won by Victoria’s Modern Assassin. Unfortunately Unopposed fell in that event.
After Manyana Groper flopped at his first two Wentworth Park starts owner Danny Mulligan urged Sid to send the dog to Queensland or Tasmania to find weaker opposition but the Box Hill trainer begged him to wait at least until the dog drew an inside box at Wentworth Park.
Manyana Groper did just that, getting box one on November 8 when he scored the first of three wins at the track.
Even if Sid defies the odds to win the Paws Of Thunder it’s unlikely to match his biggest thrill in the sport, landing the 2003 Golden Easter Egg with Cyrus The Virus.
"That was a special buzz but not far behind that was winning the Lorraine Swain Memorial at Richmond with my 2009 Richmond Derby winner Cool Flight.
"The race was named in memory of my wife Lorraine who passed away in 2006 and Cool Flight was over four years old and considered 'gone' as a racing proposition.
"It was like a fairytale when Cool Flight, owned by my great mate Billy Zahra, won this race which meant so much to me.
"Cool Flight never raced again."
Sid has had great success at Richmond, also winning the Londonderry track’s 2003 Derby with Cyrus The Virus, an Oaks with Sailing and a pair of Cannonball finals in track record time with Penny Dancer. But he bridles against suggestions Richmond should replace Wentworth Park as NSW’s principal track.
"Look, I love Richmond, it is my local course, I was whelped there, but let’s face it, you need a tracker to find it. Queensland’s respected commentator Paul Dolan once said how lucky NSW was to have its major track a stone’s throw from Darling Harbour and on the doorstep of Australia’s biggest city," he said.
"I hope I’m dead and buried before greyhound racing ever moves from Wentworth Park because it would be a nail in the coffin of the sport."
Apart from Cyrus The Virus and Cool Flight, Sid trained Sure As to win the 2012 Group 1 National Derby and won 20 races with Proper Houdini, who was a finalist in Little Fresh’s 1977 National Futurity. But when it comes to his all-time favourite, Sid plumps for Let’s Be Frank.
"What a dog he was!" said Sid. "He broke the Wentworth Park 720m track record in 1996 and won eight 520m and eight 720m races there.
"He was a mighty chaser and in a big race at Albion Park he bounced off the running rail, dropped back to last, yet got up and won."
Sid has definite ideas on training.
"Good trainers stand the test of time," he said.
"Training greyhounds is not just racing Saturday and trialling Wednesday, you must get to know your dog. Like people, they all have different metabolisms.
"If I went to the pub and drunk as much as some of my mates I’d finish up in intensive care, so we’re all different.
"Trainers should give their dogs Little breaks from racing because if you give them too much work you over-train them.
"The other thing I feel strongly about is sportsmanship. When my son DEAN took up training I always impressed on him the need to congratulate the winning trainer or handler after a race.
"I told him, no matter how down in the dumps you might feel or how dejected or disappointed, never forget to walk up to the winner and shake his hand."
Sid got his first greyhound Busy’s Gem in 1970 when he was a roof plumber installing guttering and downpipes.
His dam was a sister to Zoom Top, so it’s not surprising Sid rates her the best of all time.
"She won 68 of 136 starts and I saw her back up and win an 800 yards (732m) Invitation Stake at Harold Park 48 hours after winning a 580 yards (520m) free-for-all at Wentworth Park," he said.
"Rapid Journey and Worth Doing were great dogs and I raced against Lizrene, Highly Blessed and National Lass, all champions."
