Siblings Miss Sueko, Flying Morson and Allmendinger have just won six of ten Wentworth Park starts but their trainer Justin King might never have become involved with greyhounds had a serious knee injury not curtailed a promising career as a rugby league fullback.
In the early 1990s Justin played for Windsor and was graded with Penrith’s NRL side for whom he represented in the strong President’s Cup competition.
“But I got a bad knee injury and had to give footy away so I looked for something else to do,’’ King said.
“I knew about greyhounds because I attended school with Mark and Michael Hardman, whose father Frank was a successful trainer, and I lived opposite John Lye, another good trainer.
“John had won the 1989 Association and Summer Cups double with the great stayer Frosty Zulu so when my dad Michael and I bought a young greyhound sired by Warren’s Flyer we asked John to train it.
“He said he would do better than that - he would teach me how to train and I could look after the puppy, named Flyarana, myself.’’
King must have been an apt pupil because he hit the ground running as a trainer when Flyarana won his first five starts, a maiden at Lithgow and then four on the trot over 485m at Gosford where he scored in near record time.
When his knee mended, King returned to football and it was John Lye who gave him his first city win as an owner with Justin’s Gold.
“By then I was more into greyhounds than football," King said. "I gave league away and was lucky enough to be given dogs to train by DENIS Carl, now a GBOTA director.
“I trained handy fifth graders like Blinga, Avoid Island and Zac Power for DENIS and learned much from training those greyhounds, who were better than any I had previously.
“There’s no doubt you learn more about training when you have better class dogs in your kennels.
“Crazy Mover, who is the dam of Miss Dover, a bitch I currently have a high opinion of, was my first Wentworth Park winner as a trainer.’’
The best greyhound Justin has trained is the richly talented but injury prone Flaming Frenzy, who has scored three wins and seven seconds at Wentworth Park.
She won in a sizzling 29.67 last August but then got hurt and after resuming was injured again so has been sidelined since February.
King has worked for a landscaping company for the past 12 years, while now also juggling the training of a large team of 25 greyhounds.
He received his biggest boost when he mated the poorly performed Miss Lolola to Australian Cup winner Dyna Lachlan in mid 2012, with that union producing Miss Sueko, Flying Morson, Allmendinger and Miss Talladega - all Wentworth Park winners.
They also produced along quick Dapto winners Miss Pocano and Harvick as well as Three Mugs In, successful in two from four Richmond races.
“Miss Lolola could run like the wind but was not a keen chaser but the old time breeders used to say ‘breed from low, not slow’ so I didn’t hesitate in getting a litter from her,’’ King said.
“She now has a second litter, five months old, by Swift Fancy.’’
King also has high hopes for Gilgamesh, who was a finalist in this year’s Wentworth Park Magic Maiden and of course Flaming Frenzy, if she can withstand another campaign.
Considering his recent successes at the south coast track, it’s no surprise Dapto is King's favourite track.
Hhe rates Brett Lee as the best greyhound he has seen.
And when it comes to trainers, he has the highest regard for Jason Mackay and his pal, Sam “Sparra’’ Sultana.
“I love it when I have a dog in against one of Sam’s because then I always get a better price about my dog!’’ King quipped.
Justin’s partner Chelsea Oakman last week gave birth to the couple’s first child, a boy named Archie.
Considering Chelsea’s Wagga-based family are among country greyhound racing’s most successful participants, little Archie is bred to continue the training dynasty.
