Racing is awash with tales of bold gambles but none can match the bravest and biggest punt Keith Pedrana took in 2002.
Keith, an average working class bloke from Sydney’s western suburbs, heard that his favourite greyhound Brett Lee could be purchased as a stud dog for $825,000.
Undaunted, he sold his house at Colyton along with his retirement home cleaning business to raise the money and just as amazingly, his wife Tracey, who had been Keith’s childhood sweetheart, went along with the scheme.
The venture paid off beyond their expectations, and at last count Brett Lee had earned a staggering $15.5 million in stud fees.
But Keith Pedrana has never been one to do things by half measures.
In 1992 when successful trainer Harry Sarkis told Keith, then a greenkeeper at a Greystanes golf course, that a dog called Pistol could be bought for $20,000, Keith purchased him, despite it being his first dog.
That was big money then but Pistol was by Brett Lee’s sire Gun Law Osti and after the dog broke the Richmond track record Keith refused a $50,000 bid for him.
Unfortunately Pistol, trained for Keith by Harry, dropped a hind leg muscle and was finished after just three wins.
"I took up training them myself around eight years ago but probably ruined one of my first dogs, a potential world-beater named Les Lee," Keith said.
"He was a flying machine but I threw him straight into a 535m race at Richmond and while he clocked sensational splits of 5.17 and 15.30 he walked to the line because I hadn’t prepared him properly.
"Les Lee got acidosis as a result of that hard run and was never the same because while he won plenty of races he had lost his strength at the finish.
"Then I got two dogs, Paul Lee and Greg Lee, into the first Laurie Healion Memorial Maiden Classic final at Wentworth Park.
"Paul Lee, a tiny 26 kilogram dog who was pigeon toed, was far quicker, but Greg Lee won the race after Paul Lee ran off on the first turn and knocked half the field down, leaving his brother 20 lengths in front on the back straight.
"In 2008 Paul Lee beat the Victorian superstar El Galo in a heat of the Golden Easter Egg but broke his hock in the run and didn’t reach the final, won by Blazing Token.
"Most successful dog I’ve trained is the stayer Slick Lee, who won the Betfair Gold Cup final at Wentworth Park in 2011 and 2012.
"He actually finished third in 2012 but was awarded the race after the winner and runner-up returned positive swabs.
"Slick Lee was in 23 group races and contested the Sandown Cup, Bold Trease and the Henry Harrison in Melbourne and went to Perth for the Galaxy on the way to earning $230,000 prizemoney.
"I’m proud of the fact that any success I’ve had has been achieved without big money clients handing me ready-made dogs.
"All my greyhounds have been bred and owned by me, with Glenn Starr rearing them out west.
"But because I breed at least 30 puppies a year rearing fees can cost me up to $80,000 per annum so I’m currently looking for a property large enough for me to breed, rear and train.
"I have five brood bitches and a dozen race dogs in work, the most promising of which is History Lee, from the first litter of a smart bitch I raced named Aunty Shirl, a daughter of Keila Lee, one of the first good sprinters I owned.
"History Lee ran 22.43 for the 400m at Maitland and won over 515m at Gosford and 520m at Dapto before being unplaced at Wentworth Park on Friday night.
"He got bumped in that race but had never seen the track and will go better next time.
"My kids, aged 12, 15, 18 and 21, love the dogs and help out a lot but they come first and when Royal Tracey won for me at Richmond last Saturday night I was at the Eminem concert with the kids.
"My biggest thrill in the sport was winning a Group 2 and a Group 3 final with Slick Lee while Paul Lee’s breakdown in the Golden Easter Egg series was the biggest disappointment.
"Gosford and Richmond are my favourite tracks while apart from Brett Lee, the best greyhounds I have seen are Flying Amy and Tenthill Doll, who was prepared by my first trainer, Harry Sarkis."
