When the late Harley Shambler converted his six-year-old daughter Michelle’s cubby house into a kennel for his greyhound he unwittingly launched the career of one of NSW's consistently successful trainers.
But soccer almost took precedence over greyhounds with Michelle Shambler representing NSW as a teenager and being groomed to become a member of the Matildas national team.
“I wanted to be a professional soccer player but smashed my leg during a match and after it came out of a plaster cast six months later I could no longer play, so switched to greyhounds,’’ Shambler said.
“I had always been mad about greyhounds and when I was tiny would get my mother Margaret to take me to Wentworth Park and lift me up to look through the glass and watch the dogs being kennelled.
“I didn’t adapt too well to school and by the time I was 13 I was wagging school from Gorokan High to go and help the late Reg Sharman run his trial track at Warnervale.
“A visit from the truant officer interrupted that a few times though.’’
Shambler was in year six when she obtained her first greyhound, a four-and-a-half year old maiden named Raybob’s Rebel, who was, naturally enough, a giveaway.
“My mother and father had divorced but by then mum had also become interested in greyhounds and would take me and Raybob’s Rebel to gymkhanas at Chipping Norton and Cauchi’s trial tracks,’’ she recalled.
“I didn’t win any prizemoney but I was still thrilled because old Raybob’s Rebel won me lots of ribbons and did reach a maiden final at Harold Park.
“Because I was too young to have a licence my first winner Fury Queen was in my mother’s name and although she didn’t win in town she broke records at Taree and on the old Beaumont Park track at Newcastle.
“Curly Upton, which I trained for owner Kevin John junior, was a half brother to Kevin’s 1991 Peter Mosman Classic winner Farmer Wilson, and he gave me my first city winner at Wentworth Park.’’
After leaving school Michelle began working for Coles Supermarkets and during her 15 years’ employment there became a store manager.
But the urge to train greyhounds full-time proved too strong and these days she has eight in training on her half acre property at Ellalong, five minutes or so from the old CESSNOCK dog track.
“Among the best I’ve trained was Symptom, who won 13 races, was very good on grass and was a litter brother to the prolific Wentworth Park winner Bim Bam Boom,’’ Shambler said.
“My other top notcher was Perfect And Tall, who became Newcastle Greyhound of the Year at Beaumont Park.
“At present my best is Heroic Avenger, who is owned by my nine-year-old daughter Jessica.
“Heroic Avenger has won nine races from 24 starts and is a litter brother to Interrogated, which I also train and who has won seven from 36 starts.
“Early in the peace Interrogated was better but Heroic Avenger has improved, thanks to the help I get from Jessica and my other daughter Grace, who is 11 years old.
“Jessica looks after Heroic Avenger before school in the morning and Grace cares for him in the afternoons.
"Melissa’s Memory, which I trained for Lenny Morgan, had won 14 races and was a daughter of Cindeen Shelby, so she was extremely valuable from a brood bitch viewpoint.
“Trainer Dave Irwin taught me how to detect injuries while local veterinary surgeon Peter Yore is my mentor now.’’
Shambler rates the great Brett Lee, along with the 1981 Paws Of Thunder winner Promises Free, who once won 14 races in succession, as the best greyhounds she has seen.
And her favourite course?
“I really like Maitland, not just because it is a one turn track but because it suits speed dogs,’’ Shambler said.
