It's been 13 years since Allan and Elle Manwaring tried their luck in a puppy auction andthey have turned their sights in 2026 on the Greyhound Racing NSW Auction to replicate the result.
"It was the puppy auction at Dapto back in 2013," Allan Manwaring said.
The Manwaring's had My Bella Rose, a daughter of Where's Pedro-Ima Osti put through the auction, bought her back and she won the series with a $75,000 pay day.
"We have not been to an auction since," Manwaring added. "And, it is still pretty tough to win a Group race."
But this year they come to Richmond with two of the prized lots, a dog and a bitch, lots 53 and 127, by star sire Bernardo from their great race bitch Elle Yeah.
The dam, a daughter of Fernando Bale-Hill Top Belle, was a star race bitch, winning 15 races and $74,000.
One of the Manwaring pups in the 2026 Auction
Her claim to fame is she made the final of the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg, but as a potential broodbitch, she is the ultimate.
A litter sister to Million Dollar Chase runner-up Cumbria Kid (31 wins, $274,000) she is also from the same family as Steve Fitch's superstars Cumbria Jack, Cumbria Chrissy and Cumbria Benny.
"She trialled 29.40 at Wenty just prior to the Egg series, then won her heat in 29.58," Manwaring said.
Elle Yeah was a gift from the Manwaring's great friend Steve Fitch.
"During a canine coronavirus outbreak a while ago, we bred a litter and got just one pup," he said. "Steve gave us a pup to rear with it."
The gift is Elle Yeah.
"Steve and I have been good mates for a long time," said Allan. "He got 25 per cent of her winnings and a pup from each of her litters."
"She had nine in this litter and they really are beautiful pups. We know everyone says that, but this really is the case with these pups.
"I would think these pups are as well bred as anything in the auction."
Allan and Elle had a unique way to decide which of the litter would go to the auction.
"We could not pick, so we used a mobile phone with a spinning wheel app to decide the pup numbers in the litter that would go into the auction," said Allan.
Elle Yeah on the way to the boxes for the 2023 Golden Easter Egg decider
"It was in the lap of the gods."
But Allan is the first to admit, picking pups is a monumental task.
"I bought a pup from Steve's litter by Fernando Bale from Cumbria Ninno," he said.
"And, I admit I would never have picked Cumbria Jack. He was not the biggest of the pups, but look how good he has turned out."
Indeed.
Cumbria Jack is a multiple Group 1 performer, multiple track record breaker, and already on target for a stud career.
Allan Manwaring is rightfully proud of the Bernardo-Elle Yeah litter and his belief they are among the prize lots in this year's Richmond Auction.
