Melbourne Cup winner Black Magic Opal, who had 14 wins and three seconds in his first 17 starts for breeder Les Hudson, was produced by a bitch which cost only $800 as a puppy.
Les and his wife Carol, who have owned and trained greyhounds for 56 years, bought Awesome Opal, Black Magic Opal’s mother, from Pheasants Nest breeder Peter McGrath.
“Peter sold us three pups by Most Awesome from Opal Glow for $2400," Les said. "They were the bitches Awesome Opal and Awesome Glow and a dog, Kersnitch.
“Awesome Opal busted a toe finishing third in a Tweed Heads Galaxy heat so we mated her to Elite State to whom she whelped Opal Cove, who won 21 races, Genuine Opal and Fiery Opal, who was set to become a champion stayer until she smashed a hock.
“Genuine Opal once raced against her mother Awesome Opal, beating her in a race at The Gardens.
“But acquiring Awesome Opal for only $800 was a turning point for us because we finished up with Black Magic Opal.
“After he had won the Maitland Gold Cup in 2013 the offers flooded in and we ended up selling him for $120,000 to a client of Melbourne trainer Jason Thompson.
“After I agreed to sell him to Jason we got an offer of $150,000 from China but I explained I was committed to sell for $120,000.
“We don’t regret selling Black Magic Opal because at 73 I could not have done the travelling needed to allow the dog to achieve what he has done.
“But if Black Magic Opal had come along when I was younger there is no way we would have sold him.
“Jason and his wife Seona have been wonderful though, keeping us informed about the dog’s progress and even flying Carol and I to Sandown for the Melbourne Cup final dinner and race meeting.’’
The Hudsons, who train from a house block at Budgewoi on the central coast, were childhood sweethearts at Wyong High School who did not have a dream introduction into the sport.
“I was delivering bread for Carol’s father, Gordon Carpenter, who had a bakery, and a strange looking dog ambled up to me,’’ said Les.
“I didn’t know what breed it was but the owner finished up giving this greyhound, Weedy Linen, to us.
“When I went to pick up him I had a 1949 Singer convertible so Carol had to come with me to hold the dog in the front seat.
“Needless to say Weedy Valley didn’t win a race for us but got us hooked on the sport.
“First winner we trained was Cola Miss, which was purchased by Carol’s dad Gordon, and she won on the original Gosford track.
“We then had a handy dog called The Stomper, named After what was the current dance craze, but we didn’t win our first city race until Shredding, trained by Carol, won over 720m at Wentworth Park in 1994.
“Gordon Carpenter owned a bitch which won 10 races over 328 metres at Muswellbrook so we mated her with London Lad, a stud dog owned by the late Jack Irwin, from whom we learned so much about greyhounds.
“The mating produced six pups but we couldn’t sell any which was fortunate because one of them was London Liz, the first top notcher we owned and trained.
“She must have been naturally brilliant because she only got walked every pancake day as at the time Carol and I were racing production cars around speedways at Newcastle, Heddon Greta and at Liverpool.
“Despite our lack of attention London Liz won 15 or 16 races at Newcastle’s Beaumont Park track, won at Wentworth Park, and even chased home the mighty Zoom Top in a long distance event at Beaumont Park.
“When she retired London Liz was mated with the late John Brown’s stayer Brown Sparks and produced Beacon Court, who won twice on the same day at Wauchope.
“We gave Beacon Court to John and he bred Snow Beacon from her.
“And just like her mum Snow Beacon won twice on the same day, winning late on a Saturday Afternoon at Beaumont Park and then heading to Harold Park, Sydney, to win a big race there.’’
The Hudsons have had a wonderful life in greyhounds and Les recounted an amusing incident when he was having his two handy Cessnock dogs, Moon Beau and Bronze Tone, checked for injuries by Jack Irwin.
“As I was leaving a chap was holding what appeared to me to be two ordinary looking greyounds,’’ Les said.
“He asked me if I wanted to swap Moon Beau and Bronze Tone for his two dogs and I scoffed and said, you’ve got to be kidding, these are Cessnock winners.
“It transpired the fellow having a joke with me was famous trainer Stan Cleverley, and the two dogs he was holding were Benjamin John and Bunyip Bint, the champion sprinter and stayer!’’
