Most kids look forward to their first "sleep over" at a friend's place but for Shannon Ellis it was a game-changer when as a 15-year-old he spent his first night away from home.
"My mate was a neighbour at Wagga and the next morning his father had us up and out of bed at daybreak to help him walk and feed his greyhounds,'' Ellis recalled.
"From that day on I was totally hooked on greyhound racing.''
Ellis has just had his most successful foray into the sport, landing a personal best four winners at Coonamble on Saturday before topping that perfectly by taking out the famous Ladbrokes Gold Maiden Final on Monday.
Roy Kent
He won heats of the 305m Maiden with siblings he bred, Roy Kent and What A Roughy, along with a pair owned by his pal Mitch Carter, called Silvertree Pop and Silvertree Amy.
Roy Kent was his fastest heat winner, clocking 17.44, before overcoming a slow start to win the final 48 hours later in 17.53.
"Roy Kent and What A Roughy, who are not yet 22 months old, are by Aston Rupee from Aurora Blue, as are their litter brothers Bruce The Shark and Trent Crimm, who finished second and third respectively in their heats,'' Ellis said.
"The whole litter can run and Bruce The Shark was actually a bit stiff because he was beaten by Bernardo Beach in 17.34, which was quickest of the heats.
"I got an equally big thrill out of winning with Silvertree Pop because his owner Mitch Carter handled him and as it was the first time he had boxed a greyhound he was fist pumping the air as he came off the track."
"Then, after the final, my five-year-old son Eddie hoisted the Cup above his head at the presentation, and those things are what this sport is really all about.''
Ellis certainly did the "hard yards" to achieve his remarkable success at Coonamble, twice making the 12-hour round trip from Wagga to trial there before Saturday's Ladbrokes Gold heats.
"I always trial once before a race but because I knew these dogs were a bit special, I thought I had better make a bird of it and give them all two hit-outs at Coonamble before they raced there,'' Ellis said.
Coonamble's 400m track record was broken when Keoni took out the Coonamble Cup final in 22.99 on Monday.
It is fitting that the new record holder is trained by Noel Massina, who has been trekking from his home at Bendigo, Victoria, to Coonamble for the past 28 years.
Massina, who will be 79 in December, said: "I love these NSW country meetings and attended the Grafton winter carnival for 20 years in succession.''
