Esme Watson joined the ranks of greyhound racing's "super mums" by winning easily at Wentworth Park on Saturday night, 16 months after whelping a litter of pups.
Owned and trained by John Smart, Esme Watson was having her first start at Wentworth Park for nine months when she overcame a first turn check to win Saturday's Masters race by three lengths.
John Smart is currently undergoing treatment for cancer and because he was concerned he might not be strong enough to lead out Esme Watson, he enlisted the assistance of a long-time greyhound training friend, Doug Rogers, to handle the bitch.
"Sixteen month ago Esme Watson produced four puppies, two dogs and two bitches, to Shima Shine, and they are showing tremendous promise,'' Smart said.
"I am about to have my final cancer treatment and thankfully the diagnosis is looking good.
"This Masters racing concept is fantastic because for my wife Julie and I, they enable us to earn some money until these next puppies are ready to race.
"Julie and I are full-time carers for our nine-year-old grand-daughter and three-and-a-half year old grandson, so she has had to give up her well-paid job to look after them.
"Greyhound racing has been wonderful to us, as Esme Watson, and her litter brothers Snowman and Showman Jack, along with two other litters whelped by our broodie Lovelace, have earned $750,000.
"As a kid I used to earn two dollars at a time by swimming greyhounds for other trainers in Botany Bay.
"I was born into the sport because my father Ray trained a very good stayer called Can't She Travel, whose racetrack exploits allowed him to move out of a housing commission place and buy a house at Kingsford.''
Also in the winner's circle at Wentworth Park at the weekend was the exciting prospect Tenacious Talker, who scored her first city win on Friday night for trainer Joe McFadyen and owner Trent Kiner.
Sydney-based Kiner rates Tenacious Talker the best he has raced in 25 years as an owner following her slick all-the-way win in 29.67, her ninth success in 15 starts.
"I work in sales and a lot of my colleagues have are good at talking so that's where Tenacious Talker gets her name,'' Kiner said.
"Joe McFadyen is the third trainer she has had, because Mark Davidson prepared her until he relocated to Vietnam while she was then in Michelle Lill's kennels before she recently retired from training.
"I was fortunate to secure Tenacious Talker because I purchased her from her breeder, GRNSW board member Kevin Gordon, after she was broken in by the Barnes and Spratt family at Cudal.
"Her break in time was 19.17 and because really smart youngsters can get under 19sec at Cudal, I am always happy to risk buying one which is affordable but has at least some ability.
"Through taking that little gamble I can acquire a promising ready to race greyhound and now find myself owning a Wenty winner who is still just 26 months old.''
