A Little Win Before Retirement

When the aptly named Our Little Man, a small 27kg male greyhound, notched his second win at start number 50 last Thursday at Casino, it heralded his retirement.

Our Little Man's owner-trainer, 71-year-old Lesley Green, had been waiting for her favourite dog to land that elusive second race before he turned five next month.

"He has such a beautiful nature and was a pleasure to train, always doing everything right, but he just wasn't very quick,'' Green said.

"Since his Casino win Our Little Man is already enjoying the benefits of retirement, like getting larger portions of meat along with his favourite treats of smoked liver.

"The only downside will be missing his regular stints on the walking machine, because he has always loved that so much.''

Lesley Green was just six months old when she owned her first winner, and as a 12-year-old was a winning trainer, albeit unofficially.

That early involvement in the sport was not surprising considering her father was the legendary Victorian trainer Les Foran, who kick-started the career of famed trainer of stayers, Peter Giles.

"I only have three greyhounds in work but like many people I also have several retirees,'' Lesley Green said.

"My best race dog currently is Brodie's Tiger, who has won 10 races, most recently a fourth and fifth grade at Grafton on October 22.

"But my most successful was Shoe Laces Lady, who set a track record over 715m at The Gardens in May, 2014 after winning over 720m at Wentworth Park the previous year.

"Shoe Laces Lady, who will be 14 in July, is still going strong, living a life of luxury at my home near Grafton.''

Hunter Valley trainer James Porter is fast gaining a reputation as being "the king of Richmond" after notching a treble and five placings there on October 24 and landing five winnners at the straight track last Thursday.

On Thursday Porter won with Boom Boom Buddy in 17.76, Rob The Mob in 17.72, Straight Out in 17.48 and Sanctimonious in 17.42 while Viliame scampered over the 324m in 17.39.

"I prefer racing up the straight because you get more longevity out of your dogs there than on the circle,'' Porter said.

"Of my five winners on Thursday, Sanctimonious has the brightest future.

"Her litter brother Viliame can really run but because of an old injury he is restricted to straight racing.

"Sactimonious though is a very quick bitch who is just as good around the bends.

"I bred them from my bitch Chunky But Funky, won had nine wins and nine placings from 30 starts.''

Between them, Sanctimonious and Viliame have been first past the post in a remarkably consistent 11 of 19 races.

John Corrigan bought Uno Nangar as a ready-to-race proposition in July and the bitch has the veteran Grafton club president on target to enjoy his most successful stint as an owner-trainer.

Corrigan paid tribute to Uno Nangar's former owner-trainers, Ann and Dennis Barnes, after the greyhound took her record to eight wins and four placings from 14 starts with her victory in the Ipswich Futurity late last month.

"I have known Dennis Barnes for 40 years and when you deal with him, you soon realise he is a straight shooter, what you see is what you get,'' Corrigan said.

"And I have know his wife Ann's family, the famous Millers from Mullion Creek in western NSW, for just as long.

"I always worm my dogs out at the end of each month so Uno Nangar has had a short break since the Futurity win on October 26 but she is ready to go again now.

"When Dennis sold me Uno Nangar, he also sold her litter sister Bandit Chloe and that bitch has now won six from 11 races.''

Uno Nangar, who has won four races in succession, turns two on Saturday so has plenty of racing ahead of her.

But she also possesses great value as a potential mother as her dam Nangar Diva's progeny has won over $468,000 on the track.