Denice Warren, trainer of Friday night’s brilliant 29.82 Wentworth Park winner Ay Grade, could easily have become a top flight jockey or harness racing trainer.
Denice, whose late father Frank Day trained consecutive Miracle Mile winners Friendly Footman and Gundary Flyer, drove trackwork for her dad and became a winning jockey until a serious back injury ended her career on the turf.
So in 1973, after marrying Errol Warren, a bookmaker who also trained a few dogs, Denice turned her attention to training greyhounds.
"Frank Day trained Friendly Footman and Gundary Flyer to win the 1981 and 1982 Miracle Miles, Gundary Flyer also won an Australian Derby and Ben’s Image, another of dad’s team, was the Australasian record holder for a two-year-old," Denice recalled.
"When I became a jockey I rode winners at Canberra but in those days females were restricted to designated ladies’ races or at picnic meetings.
"But I learned from wonderful tutors like Athol Mulley, Edgar Britt and Teddy Doon, one of racing’s great characters.
"When I met Errol he was a hobby trainer but we became associated with Max Tyler, who later trained the 1990 Wentworth Park Gold Cup winner Lilac Livery.
"Errol and I used to field at Bathurst dogs on Saturday afternoons and back up at Orange greyhounds that night, also fielding at Wollongong, Gosford, Bulli, Dapto and Nowra greyhounds.
"The first greyhound I trained was Crack Shot, which I bought around 1976 from Paul Wheeler’s father Allen.
"Crack Shot won races but my first Wentworth Park winners were Sidmouth Red and William Bonney, which were purchased in a package deal from a Tasmanian owner."
Denice was obviously a fast learner because Sidmouth Red, only a 300m dog in Tasmania, improved enough to become a metropolitan 520m winner.
"I have not had a champion but trained many handy greyhounds like Lance Link, Rage And Ruin, Red Redemption, Corporate Raida, Foxhill Bella, Mythological, Woody’s Raida and more recently Gotta Problem, Booze Hound and Ay Grade," Denice says.
"Lance Link broke the 30 second barrier in a Dapto Puppy Classic when the track surface was grass, while Corporate Raida won his first seven races in succession.
"He finished second in a Nowra Puppy Classic final but his career ended prematurely when he was badly hurt in a Peter Mosman Classic final.
"Mythological, now a seven year old pet at home, won a Canberra Cup and Woody’s Raida, another pet, broke down after winning his maiden at Richmond in 30.50, unheard of time for a puppy."
Denice has a well-earned reputation for being able to turn around "problem" greyhounds.
Foxhill Bella, who won seven races at Wentworth Park, breaking the 30 second barrier on five occasions, "took ages to get to chase keenly" according to Denice, while Ay Grade, now a winner of nearly $32,000 in prizemoney, came to her as an unwanted, erratic type.
"Apart from Corporate Raida’s injury in the Peter Mosman Classic, my biggest disappointment was when Red Redemption went through a Dapto Auction Classic series undefeated but after missing the jump when favourite in the final did nothing.
"My biggest thrills have been my first winner, first city winner and taking out the Nowra Puppy Classic with Foxhill Bella.
"But I get a buzz from every win, especially when the owners have become involved.
"I train the greyhounds the way dad trained horses, working them along until they are fit but then not trialling them too much.
"At the same time, I’m always prepared to heed advice because you never learn unless you listen.
"Richmond is my favourite track but racing at Wentworth Park is especially exciting.
"Zoom Top, the great all distance champion of the late 1960s, is the best greyhound I have seen, while Brett Lee was the best sprinter and I don’t think I will ever see a faster dog than Shakey Jakey."
