When Zipper In scored her third win in five Wentworth Park appearances last Saturday night, she gave trainer Jason Magri his 200th success, and his 60th at headquarters, for the first 50 weeks of 2025.
Magri confirmed that result but added quickly: "I'm certain Minnie Finn has won more than that.''
He was correct, as Minnie Finn, although without a victory at Wentworth Park last Saturday, has trained 209 winners so far this year, including 46 at Wentworth Park, with her daughter-in-law and virtual co-trainer Courtney Barnes having prepared 109 winners.
Magri is about to complete his 20th year as a full-time trainer, after preparing greyhounds on a part-time basis for nearly a decade.
"Before I started training professionally, I was a "sparkie" working alongside my brother Ray, who was also an electrician,'' Magri said.
"But I hated every minute of it.''
Jason Magri has never wanted to do anything except train greyhounds.
His father Tony Magri was a successful hobby trainer so Jason grew up among greyhounds, the best of which was a good stayer called Diamond Crown.
Jason trained his first winner, Miami Charm on the Appin straight track, as an 18-year-old and while his father was his mentor he said he learned much simply by watching the best trainers and not being afraid to ask them questions.
Ironically while Jason Magri and Minnie Finn are keen rivals these days, Jason credits Minnie's late husband John Finn as being one of his influences.
"John Finn was always a big help to me when I was starting out and it was through him that I started training Wot Ya Wot and Wot Ya Got who won a lot of races for me,'' he recalled.
"John had been asked to train them but at the time had no room in his kennels and recommended to their owner that they give me a shot with them.''
Litter brothers Wot Ya Got and Wot Ya Wot won 13 of 34 races for Magri in 2013 and 2014.
Magri has a kennel full of promising greyhounds but rates Zipper Show, whose six wins from 12 starts include a fast 29.45 Wentworth Park performance, as his most likely star of 2026.
And while Magri will be without a finalist in Saturday night's Group One Ladbrokes Paul Wheeler Simply The Best at Wentworth Park, Minnie Finn and her daughter-in-law Courtney Barnes will be represented by Winsome Jet and Zipping Ariel.
Marty and Fiona Hallinan, NSW's most successful breeders and owners, are the most prominent clients of both Jason Magri and Minnie Finn, while their son Cameron is the owner of Zipping Ariel.
