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But first, would you like a quarter share St George Marketing & PR's RON ARNOLD OUR FIRST ST GEORGE MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE OUR INAUGURAL ONLINE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE FOR HIS THREE DECADES OF UNCONDITIONAL CARING FOR THE NEW SOUTH WALES GREYHOUND RACING INDUSTRY. IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO SALUTE RON ARNOLD AND OFFICIALLY INDUCT HIM INTO OUR ONLINE HALL OF FAME FOR HIS UNSELFISH SERVICES TO GREYHOUND RACING IN NSW. RON NEVER HAS A BAD WORD ABOUT ANYONE AND ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING REALISTICALLY POSITIVE TO SAY AND WRITE IN HIS NOW PROLIFIC COLUMNS IN THE NATIONAL GREYHOUND PRESS. I HAVE PERSONALLY WRITTEN, EDITED AND PUBLISHED LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF HARD NEWS ARTICLES IN OVER 55 COUNTRIES SINCE 1978 … SO WHEN I SINGLE OUT SOMEONE FOR HIGH PRAISE IN THE PRINT MEDIA IT IS NOT SOMETHING I DO LIGHTLY. IT IS FOR RON’S CONSISTENT EXCELLENCE AND OBJECTIVE, BALANCED REPORTAGE AND HIS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND HIS DAILY DUTIES WITH THE NATIONAL COURSING ASSOCIATION AT I HAVE READ MOST OF HIS STORIES THIS PAST YEAR WITH A CRITICAL EYE AND WOULD HAVE NO HESITATION HAVING HIM ON MY OWN TEAM IF EVER WE DECIDE TO LAUNCH AN INTERNATIONAL GREYHOUND MAG (JUST KIDDING FELLERS). LIKE I USED TO DO IN MY RICHMOND RACE CLUB DAYS, RON DOES THE MC WORK TRACKSIDE WITH APLOMB AND OFTEN STAYS UP LATE BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A RACE MEETING AT WENTWORTH PARK WRITING HIS COLUMN(S)… ALONG WITH GREAT SUPPORT FROM HIS WIFE AND FAMILY, RON CAREFULLY AND PAINSTAKENLY REPLAYS EACH RACE VIDEO IN SLOW-MOTION TO ACCURATELY ASSESS AND ANALYSE WHAT WENT WRONG WITH THAT FAVOURITE AND HIS METICULOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS A TREMENDOUS HELP TO PUNTERS AND OWNERS ALIKE. HE IS PREDICTABLY GOOD AT HIS CRAFT AND YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON HIM INCLUDING THE BREEDING OF EVERY DOG HE MENTIONS KEEPING IN MIND THE ONE PERSON WHO MIGHT WANT TO KNOW THAT … AND WHO THEN BOOK THEIR BROOD BITCH INTO THAT SIRE MENTIONED BY RON. HE IS FAR TOO MODEST TO BLOW HIS OWN TRUMPET (UNLIKE SOME) AND THAT IS ANOTHER MAJOR REASON THIS UNSUNG HERO DESERVES THESE 15 MINUTES OF FAME FROM YOURS TRULY. CONGRATULATIONS TO RON ARNOLD, THE FIRST PERSON IN HISTORY TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE ST GEORGE MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS ONLINE HALL OF FAME. RON WILL NOW BE INVITED TO RECEIVE HIS ACCOLADE IN SEPTEMBER AT A SPECIAL TRACKSIDE BBQ PRESENTATION AT LITHGOW GREYHOUND RACING CLUB JUST BEFORE THE START OF THE 2008 FINAL OF THE QUICKSTITCH CUP WORTH $1,000 TO THE WINNER. RON (AND FOUR MORE INDUCTEES TO BE NAMED IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THAT SEPTEMBER OCCASION) WILL RECEIVE A $50 GIFT VOUCHER AND A WRITING TROPHY. SO THAT’S IN SEPTEMBER AT LITHGOW GREYHOUNDS, FOR THE RUNNING OF THE 2008 QUICKSTITCH CUP OVER 506 METRES AND RON ARNOLD’S INDUCTION INTO OUR ONLINE HALL OF FAME (FOR GREYHOUND RACING). - REAGAN MURPHY
- Stepping Up Mentor Program for Growth – starting soon! - BEC Annual SALES Conference – Feb - Lunch Rooms – Financial Dynamics plus more - Feb
NETWORK FOR SUCCESS - Networking Brekky in Sutherland – early Feb - New Networking in St George – mid March - Women in Biz Network – mid Feb
HOME BASED BUSINESS - Marketing – Workshop Series commences early Feb
MARKET EXPANSION - China Lunch Room – early Feb - Import/Export Forum – late Feb
STARTING UP - ATO Tax Basics For Small Business – early Feb - Thinking of Starting your Own Business – late March
BUSINESS PLANNING & WORKSHOP TRAINING - Business Planning Day – very early Feb - Effective Websites – Feb
BUSINESS ADVISORY Funded through the NSW Department of State & Regional Development.
A free and confidential business advisory services for both start-up and established small business owners available by appointment, Monday – Friday business hours. MORE INFORMATION AND DETAIL? Scroll Down! REGISTER ME NOW PLEASE! Either – click through to the ‘more detail’ website and download a downloadable registration form: www.becsmallbiz.com.au Or telephone your bec on 9545-5900 or fax your bec on 9545-5988 or email: rhonda@becsmallbiz.com.au SCROLL DOWN here for MORE information and visit our website for even more information (including the Members’ News page) www.becsmallbiz.com.au Don't forget to mention to Rhonda where you first found out about this event: --------------------------------------------------------- STEPPING UP MENTOR PROGRAM Hurry! Starts next week! For you if you own your own business; have been trading 2 years or more; have a turnover 100K or more and employ 1 or more people. This successful program combines:
Here’s how one mentor describes the program: “We take them off the field and into the grand stand. From there we can see and talk about the game, the players, the opposition, the moves and see the game being played.” REGISTRATION: $990 including GST per business. This program is sponsored by the NSW Department of State and Regional Development who co-fund the program. To register: please telephone Mark Wayland, Program Coordinator at the bec on 9545-5900 or email: rhonda@becsmallbiz.com.au Don't forget to mention to Rhonda where you first found out about this event: ----------------------------------------------------------- BEC ANNUAL SALES CONFERENCE
Proudly sponsored by Sutherland Shire Council Sales – the lifeblood of your business – this is a once in a year opportunity to attend a national standard Sales Conference here locally in Southern Sydney ! Get NEW Customers – MORE from your current customers and attract strong Referrals. Here’s the line-up:
When: Saturday 17 February 2007
Don't forget to mention to Rhonda where you first found out about this event: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LUNCH ROOMS Proudly sponsored by Hurstville City Council There are two Lunch Rooms in February. The idea of the Lunch Room is a free of charge roundtable discussion on a business development topic featuring a specialist guest facilitator.
CHINA LUNCH ROOM
When: Friday 9 February 2007 Where: Optus Room, Hurstville Civic Centre Time: 12 noon - 2.00pm Don't forget to mention to Rhonda where you first found out about this event: FINANCIAL DYNAMICS & THE POWER OF THE GROSS PROFIT MARGIN
Guest facilitator: Kevin Murphy, St George Bank Where: Optus Room, Hurstville Civic Centre Time: 12.30pm - 2.00pm Don't forget to mention to Rhonda where you first found out about this event: ------------------------------------------------------------------ NETWORKING Two fantastic networking opportunities in February: 1. Networking Breakfast – monthly
2007 kicks off with a fulltime emcee, certified trainer and accredited speaker – Camille Valvo! Camille asks you: Are you serious about building your business through networking? Then you need to look at some new trends in this important promotional activity……….MORE? then come along to breakfast the first Wednesday of the month.
2. BEC Women in Biz Network
You requested MORE of the Women in Business Network in 2007, so I hope to see you here. By popular demand we have one of our successful speakers back with a new topic – promises to be a wonderful fun night with the usual scrumptious fare from Chambers! Speaker: Elena Reed, Evolutzia Don't forget to mention to Rhonda where you first found out about this event: --------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME BASED BUSINESS OWNERS A very successful workshop series starts in early February 2007 The Marketing Workshop series will give you framework, discussion and assistance in your Marketing Planning for your business to carry you into the next year. This series is subsidized and delivered on behalf of the NSW Department of State and Regional Development. Includes: 4 x 3 hour workshops Dates: Tuesday 6 February 9.30am-12.30pm Registration: $165 including gst for the entire Marketing Workshop Series. Email: rhonda@becsmallbiz.com.au for a registration form now! Don't forget to mention to Rhonda where you first found out about this event: --------------------------------------------------------------------- ATO TAX BASICS WORKSHOP An essential workshop on your compliance issues with Tax for a small business owner. These are terrific sessions delivered by the Australian Taxation Office. Date: Wednesday 7 February 2007 REGISTER ME NOW PLEASE ! Either – click through to the ‘more detail’ website and download a downloadable registration form: www.becsmallbiz.com.au Or telephone your bec on 9545-5900 or fax your bec on 9545-5988 or email: rhonda@becsmallbiz.com.au Don't forget to mention to Rhonda where you first found out about this event: ------------------------------------------------ BUSINESS PLANNING DAY! A full day workshop on business planning for both start up and established small business. 29-33 Waratah Street , Kirrawee date: Thursday 1 February 2007
-------------------------------------------------------------- Registration forms and more information on other events such as the Import/Export Forum is now available at our website at www.becsmallbiz.com.au Don't forget to mention to Rhonda where you first found out about this event: --------------------------------------------------------------
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IT'S NATIONAL LASS By REAGAN MURPHY, Assistant Leader Editor
OMEBODY asked me if I could name the greatest greyhounds I had ever seen race at She was Greyhound of the Year in 1984 and 1985 and could so easily have made it a third had injury not robbed the industry of this elusive feat. The Riverstone-trained daughter of Chief Dingaan and Waroo Lass holds pride of place in my heart being a true local to the Richmond track, where I first saw her win a maiden race over 400 metres on January 27, 1984. In those days I had a passion for the 400 metre sprints around the then lush green I had always been a fan of Pretty Short and Tientsin Tabu as they were usually explosive out of the boxes and my grandmother Noeline Costandis loved having a 50 cents flutter each way on these two any time they were engaged at Owner Richard Zammit had been burning the midnight oil studying bloodlines and his astute foresight paid off handsomely as his $2000 investment in “Gypsy” having seen the track dominance of her older half brother National Lee (Temlee x Waroo Lass). National Lee was a brilliant but ill-fated stayer who “could have been anything” as they say. National Lass went on to become the 1984 Greyhound of the Year having quickly established herself as a champion sprinter-stayer, her uncanny trainer, Richie Dean, somehow knowing exactly when she was ready to “go the distance” as Zoom Top had done in the late 1960s. Amazingly, she could win over 722 or 732 metres one week and then break a track record over 537 metres or 620 metres the next. As a stayer she won 20 of her 25 races in 1985, a phenomenal win rate of 80 per cent. In 1986, she broke another track record, this time at Dapto over 722 metres in 42.82. She was seemingly always luckless at the Gabba track where she suffered a few shock losses but in 1986 came a gallant second to Kirsty’s First in the National Distance Championship Grand Final there. Gypsy needed a rest after that series and a disappointing third in the 1986 Richmond Easter Gift. She had to be sidelined for six weeks before returning to win at Richmond in 37.05 over 620 metres, just a whisker outside her own track record of 37.03 set a year earlier. The shortest priced favourite I’ve ever seen lose a race at Wentworth Park (1/7) National Lass had to be retired after her medical examination following her last placing revealed an inoperable dropped hind muscle.
ational Lass was the world’s fastest maiden winner at Harold Park, posting a scorching 26.31 for the 457 metres and just .36 outside The Shoe’s 1969 track record (and Quickstitch’s 26.15, sorry about that, I just had to throw that in quickly for Old George). She had also won at Richmond in a blistering 31.45 over 537 metres after taking out the 1984 Gabba Gold Cup before Richie Dean bit the bullet and tried her out over the much longer journey of 689 metres at Gosford in one of the most eagerly-awaited staying debuts. Despite some sections of the industry thinking he was stark raving mad, Richie’s expert reading of his charge was spot on. Incredibly, that night National Lass could have given Gosford’s previous joint track record holders Zoom Top and Status Supreme a six length head start – and a trouncing – as she set the central coast track ablaze recording a time of just 40.73 (the track record was 41.20). She then went on to win the Sun Toy Fund Cup at Wentworth Park over 722 metres in 42.48, yet another track record, joining the legendary ranks of Zoom Top and Chief Havoc to set back-to-back track records. The Joe Lopes-trained Cherie Sepol had held the previous Wenty track record since 1978. National Lass then made mainstream news headlines – knocking off the cricket from the back pages of the tabloids – with yet another consecutive track record, this time at Richmond over 620 metres (37.20). Just as the mighty Phar Lap had won with a bleeding leg – unfairly carrying a VRC anvil on his back – to win the Melbourne Cup in the 1930s, National Lass suffered a serious wrist injury mid-race at her next start when highballing it out in front by nearly eight lengths at the halfway mark, only to falter badly yet still bravely holding on to win by just over a length in the best time of the night, 42.94. The following year started with a bang, as Gypsy won a Free-For-All at Everyone kept asking Richie Dean “How’s Gypsy?” during her 10 week break, nervously hoping she’d bounce back to her brilliant best as soon as possible. “She’s fine,” was Richie’s stock standard reply, in those days his Riverstone property was just a suburb away from ours at Schofields. So Old George Costandis (my ‘uncle’ – my grandmother’s second husband and trainer of Quickstitch, Stardust John, Ivory Page, Our Buckaroo, So Supreme, Dobie Page – the famous bookmaker Terry Page’s litter) we saw a lot of Richie back then. National Lass eventually came back with a quick Dapto trial over 507 metres, then showed the world she was back to her best with a win at Richmond over 620 metres by seven lengths in a near-record time of 37.32.
ER next five wins included a 537 metre The bookies fears were confirmed as National Lass careered away with the Sydney Cup final and then returned to her home track at Richmond to smash her own track record over 620 metres on November 1, 1985, eclipsing her year-old mark by two lengths, or 0.17 seconds (37.03). I was assistant judge that night working with one of the nicest guys the greyhound racing industry has ever breathed life into: Hughie Jones. We were both excited with the new technology of electronic timing and the improvements in photo-finish facilities the club had, and this euphoria was never more evident than the nights National Lass was racing. We kept scratching our heads wondering if these times were possible … that’s how fast she was! There was never a problem with our technology: National Lass was a freak. Her win in the 1985 Summer Cup final against the finest field of adversaries – including fellow track record holders the calibre of Statistician and Street Wise – was a commanding victory but for mine, her greatest ever middle distance win was at Richmond over 537 metres winning the 1985 Christmas Gift in 31.24, yet another track record time! And if anyone would like to relive that wonderful and nostalgic evening I do have the Geoffrey Redden video of her second consecutive Richmond Christmas Gift victory in 1986 – just call the Which greyhound is your all-time favourite? Drop us a line telling us why at:
FOLLOW THE GREYHOUND LEADER’S DREAM TEAM KENNEL (ONES TO WATCH IN 2007) THE following greyhounds are all worth following – throughout 2007. They each have something in common: they are ALL incredibly keen chasers capable of winning a string of races back-to-back. Cannington: AWESOME LEADER, BROOKE’S BOY, DIMPLES AND ICE, IBROX THUNDER, LIMBURG ERR, OMEGA BROOK, OZ COIN Casino: ENLIGHTENMENT, SANDY COLT, SUBSTITUTE SMITH Dapto: BINGA LEE, GIVE ME FIVE, GLASSES, Maitland: APRIL’S KIDZ, Mandurah: BROOMBRAE ROSE, EAGLE ONE, HART’S MEMORY, Sandown: DR CANARIS, FLASHY The Gardens: ANIKA STAR, MISS ELLY MINT, SELECT CONQUEST The Meadows: BLACK PLATINUM, DIDYA SEE ME, GONE WILD, GORGEOUS I DAIRE, LIFE OF BRIAN, MERCURY ARC, REAL DESTINY, RESTING Traralgon: Wangaratta: EASTERN PARK, OLD PHIL, LASSY LOU, PUDGEE Wenty: BIM BAM BOOM, BRALYN MAISIE, KIDATEE BOB, OBSCURITY, ONE TREE HILL, TOXICITY, WILDLY CONTENTED “Greyhound racing is reputed to be one of the fastest and most gracious of sporting spectacles with one of its core attractions lying in the unique dog breed which chases at up to speeds of over 65 km per hour … the greyhound has earned a revered place in society and, indeed, in history. It was the only dog mentioned in the Bible and was also a particular favourite amongst the Egyptian Pharaohs.” – Kogarah Mayor, Councillor MICHAEL KITMIRIDIS. KOGARAH MAYOR LAUNCHES THE ‘GREYHOUND LEADER’ A Kogarah-based racing paper is born
Speaking at a ribbon and cake cutting ceremony at Wanstall Chambers, where the national weekly racing newspaper is produced in Montgomery Street, Kogarah, Cr Kitmiridis congratulated publisher and managing director of the Greyhound Leader, Roupen Nercessian, for making Kogarah’s CBD his national headquarters. Mr Nercessian is a passionate and enthusiastic supporter of the greyhound industry in New South Wales, owning a number of greyhounds – including a Group One National Futurity winner. Mr Nercessian is also sponsoring this Saturday night’s Greyhound Leader Group One Association Cup series at Wentworth Park with $50,000 to be won by the winners of the January 20th Association Cup final. The Mayor of Rockdale, Councillor Bill Saravinovski, was also on hand to welcome the Greyhound Leader to the St George district, soon after the opening wishing staff “the best of luck” including long-time friend Reagan Murphy, who is the newspaper’s assistant editor and PR manager. Mr Nercessian is the owner of Hotham Automotive Repairs, and he uses a smash repair business analogy to describe the Greyhound Leader’s democratic competition philosophy. “I have 18 competitors in the smash repair business in my street,” Mr Nercessian says. “But we never bad-mouth each other … somehow we all manage to earn an honest dollar looking after different customers and that’s the same with the Greyhound Leader,” he said. “After all, life is too short.” He said: “We are not exactly in the same demographic as other racing form guides, we are more interested in writing stories about battlers winning the occasional trophy race in the country, historical features and human interest stories that would never usually get published anywhere else.”
The Kogarah Mayor said: “This is another first for Kogarah. May I congratulate you on your sound decision to make Kogarah your home,” Cr Kitmiridis said. “I thank you for your kind invitation to officially launch the first edition of this new national weekly greyhound racing newspaper,” he said. Cr Kitmiridis conceded that whilst he was not an expert on the sport of greyhound racing, he did at least feel inclined to research his topic. “When I received this invitation I decided to undertake some research on the sport and what I found astonished me,” he said. “Greyhound racing is reputed to be one of the fastest and most gracious of sporting spectacles with one of its core attractions lying in the unique dog breed which chases at up to speeds of over 65 km per hour … the greyhound has earned a revered place in society and, indeed, in history.
It was the only dog mentioned in the Bible and was also a particular favourite amongst the Egyptian Pharaohs.” Greyhound Leader Editor, John Mahoney, of Como, said: “In NSW alone, greyhound racing has many thousands of participants, all of whom have a story to tell. “While in other racing sports, it is the top stables that dominate the major races, the history of greyhound racing is littered with examples of top dogs being trained out of kennels in suburban backyards,” Mr Mahoney said.
“It is rags to riches stories such as these and other ‘magazine style’ articles which we will concentrate on, as well as opinion pieces, the latest racing news and plenty of winners as well, we hope. The feedback I’m receiving from the industry so far has been beyond my wildest dream. Our panel of tipsters are already consistently forecasting five and six winners out of 10 at weekly city meetings.” To date the Greyhound Leader’s panel of expert tipsters have an impressive 40% to even 60% success rate providing readers winners on Saturday night meetings at Wentworth Park … and so far the pacemaker has been the Assistant Editor. The Greyhound Leader was first published on Thursday, December 14, 2006, from the Wanstall Chambers in Montgomery Street, Kogarah, and has sold out at many newsagencies around NSW. Advertising co-ordinator Jimmy Poulimenos, of Kogarah Bay, attributes much of the paper’s immediate success and enthusiastic acceptance on its insistence for quality editorial and affordability (it sells out for $4 in all leading newsagencies throughout NSW and interstate).
“We are not a form guide,” he said. “We simply write more untold human interest stories.” Assistant Editor, Reagan Murphy, of South Hurstville, is also the newspaper’s public relations manager. He MC’d and organised the mayoral opening through his local marketing consultancy, St George Marketing & Public Relations. He expects the amusingly-named Kibble Kruncha to win the Greyhound Leader’s time-honoured event, the Association Cup this week. “If he gets through the semi-finals unscathed Kibble Kruncha will be very hard to beat in our big final,” Mr Murphy said. “He tends to get back in his races early on but he is an exciting stayer (long distance runner) that takes your breath away with his barnstorming finishes from near impossible positions, so he’s my tip.” FOR MORE INFORMATION OR MEDIA INTERVIEWS PLEASE CALL EDITOR JOHN MAHONEY (02) 9588 2228 OR ROUPEN NERCESSIAN (02) 9438 3117. RELEASED ON BEHALF OF THE GREYHOUND LEADER BY ASSISTANT EDITOR & PR MANAGER REAGAN MURPHY ( ST GEORGE MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS) 0414 640 274 stgmpr@yahoo.com.au www.stgmpr.com.au The following article was published in the first edition of the Kogarah-based Greyhound Leader, December 14, 2006 NSW RACING WRITING TEAM TOGETHER AGAIN (30 YEARS) THIS week not only marks the birth of the Greyhound Leader but a writing reunion between the Editor, John Mahoney, and the Assistant Editor, Reagan Murphy, after some 30 years. Whilst nowhere near as significant as a Lennon-McCartney writing collaboration, the Mahoney-Murphy combination is certain to arouse a lot of positive interest throughout the NSW greyhound racing industry. JOHN MAHONEY interviews good friend and award winning journalist REAGAN MURPHY on his return to greyhound racing after 20 years. John Mahoney: Reagan, welcome back to the greyhound industry and, more importantly, to the Greyhound Leader. How does it feel to be back where it all began for both of us? Reagan Murphy: John, it’s positively exciting, nostalgic and obviously an emotional roller-coaster when I revisit tracks I haven’t been to in 20 years. How amazing to bump into you at Kogarah just as you were on the verge of launching this terrific new paper! The happy memories just come flooding back and I wonder where the hell is everybody? It’s like waking up after a 20 year coma or hypersleep like in the movie Alien and discovering, despite all the changes, some good, some not, in the main it’s just great. And I want to thank you John for asking me back. And it will be an honour to be your Assistant Editor. I’m really looking forward to it. John Mahoney: Now for the benefit of readers under 30, I should just point out that you and I cut our journalistic teeth back in the late 1970s on the NSW Greyhound Weekly, National Greyhound News, the Greyhound Guild, when I joined the NCA you went from being the media liaison and promotions officer at Richmond Race Club with John Varley to being asked by Tony Squires to write human interest stories at the Greyhound Recorder. After a few years under Barry Crawford there you then pursued a career in mainstream journalism and became an award winning scribe and national features editor for a century old daily tabloid, the Daily Commercial News. How did you get into marketing and PR? Reagan Murphy: I got a call from a sixties TV quiz host and radio presenter who heard I was “good with words” and wondered if I’d ever considered becoming an advertising copywriter. He was with an agency promoting a top rating radio program and direct response TV infomercials so I went in for a coffee and the rest as they say, is history. I found myself organising breakfast and lunch seminars for small to medium sized businesses to meet such TV celebrities as Max Walker, Ita Buttrose, Stan Zemanek, John Mangos, Paula Duncan, Prue MacSween and Darryl Eastlake. John Mahoney: What was it like working with Max and Ita? Reagan Murphy: To say it was hugely exciting would not have done them justice. Max was sensational – we’d see him every month or so and Ita about the same, then a mini-assembly line of new clients would clamber aboard a mini bus to Global TV studios which we’d hire for half or a full day and instead of shooting just one TV commercial we’d get through a dozen. We had to show these business people how they could actually afford getting into TV or radio for the first time – not only with a sustained campaign but with a celebrity tie-in. Jon Mahoney: What happened after that? Reagan Murphy: Then I got head-hunted by another agency and since then I’ve been starting up my own boutique marketing and PR consultancy, but concentrating purely on the small business and club market in John Mahoney: When was the last time you were on a greyhound track – prior to the 2006 Reagan Murphy: That was the night National Lass won the 1986 Christmas Gift up at John Mahoney: Now your grandparents George and Noeline Costandis were famous for taking on other trainers rejects and just spoiling them to win back their trust and somehow getting them to win races at incredible ages. Old George used to work with Terry Ransom at the Kurnell Oil refinery in the sixties so that’s how our paths came to cross, coincidentally in journalism and not only that but in the same industry. What was it like growing up as a teenager on a farm full of greyhounds and living next to Jimmy and Christine Coleman? Reagan Murphy: Jimmy took me on after school (I went to Richmond High) as a strapper; he paid me $5 a week to help him feed all the dogs, he taught me how to milk his cows and goats, shared boxing yarns with me, let me walk his champions down Reynolds Road (Odious, Ungwilla Lad, He’s Some Boy, Princess Tanjo etc) and what an eye-opener was animal husbandry! He’s Some Boy was always in constant demand as a stud dog and everything Jimmy and Christine taught me came in handy when Old George started winning lots of races with the handy likes of Ivory Page, Stardust John, Our Buckaroo, and Quickstitch. John Mahoney: Now George pulled off a miracle with old Quickstitch. He was a Victorian courser with a fighting tendency but Les Brien had huge wraps on the dog’s pure speed and gave it to George at four years old to see if he could overcome “Tiger’s” hang-ups … you tell the story from there. Reagan Murphy: I wish every teenage boy in John Mahoney: That was in the days when The Shoe held the track record at 25.95. Tell us about that famous day at Lithgow when “the pensioner” broke the Lithgow track record. Reagan Murphy: He actually broke the old 706 metre track record at Lithgow at five years and two months, which at the time was a Guinness World age record. The trip home that day in Old George’s beat-up Chrysler station wagon (complete with muffler held in place with his shoelace) was the proudest day of my teenage life, and that was the day I filed my first news story for the Greyhound Recorder. How different it was back then, though! John Mahoney: Can you see yourself getting back into owning – or one day even training – greyhounds? Reagan Murphy: I would love nothing more than to live out my days on a farm looking after a few cows, goats, little pigs and a handful of handy greyhounds somewhere on the outskirts of Sydney or down in the beautiful Kangaroo Valley. But it’s not (yet) up to me as my delightful South American wife of 18 years, Mirta, has other plans and for now we have to knuckle down and get Daniel (now 15) and Jessica-Claire (nearly 17) through their HSC and hopefully off PlayStation and on to university. John Mahoney: What’s been your happiest memory from greyhound racing? And greatest racing influences on your life? Reagan Murphy: I’d say meeting all the wonderful people from all walks of life – and calling gymkhanas with Rod Fuller (don’t mention Kodo Lad at Penrith … he got so far out in front once Rod called the second dog first) and leading back any winner from the catching pen … and enjoying a hot pie and peas on the long trek home when George would toot the horn going up the drive if we’d won, for Nana. Greatest influences include Paul Ambrosoli, every teenager’s role model back then, now still, John Varley and Frank Kennedy. John Mahoney: Obviously, it’s going to take you a while to get back into the swing of things, Reags, but I’m sure you are going to bring a smile to a lot of Greyhound Leader readers’ faces with your now legendary yarns and unique perspective on all things racing. I’m thrilled to have you back and it’s going to be great bouncing story ideas off you. Reagan Murphy: Thanks John. The feeling’s mutual. Nobody knows more about greyhound racing than you, my friend. So I’m in the very best of hands – as are all your Leader readers. We both have a lot to offer and even though I’ll be on a short learning curve together we’ll learn a stack from each other and the readers can tell us what they’d like to see followed up. I expect to seek out as many untold human interest stories as I possibly can in the months and years ahead. Congratulations John for starting up the Greyhound Leader with such a great and talented team aboard, including Jimmy and the visionary entrepreneur, Roupen. May God bless all who rail to the winning post in her. Copyright © 2004-2008 St George Marketing & Public Relations. All Rights Reserved.
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For Southern Sydney business owners trading with China.
Copyright 2004-2008.
St George Marketing & Public Relations.
All Rights Reserved. Tel: 0450 187 838.
