Ray Steele is one of the few current trainers who has a connection with the immortal Chief Havoc, the late 1940s champion from Gunnedah who is installed in the World Greyhound Racing Hall Of Fame at Abilene, Kansas.
Steele, whose greyhound Lady RonRay is unbeaten in three Wentworth Park starts and has won seven of eight races, grew up in the sport with his mother, Joyce, living at Gunnedah and being a friend of Jack Millerd, who bought Chief Havoc as a six week old puppy for $16.80!
“Because she lived at Gunnedah my mother also knew Russ Westerweller, the breeder of Chief Havoc, and was offered the pick of the litter,’’ Steele said. “But she selected another dog, which she and my father Jack raced as Gold Force.
“Although Gold Force had nine wins and a second from 10 starts they left Chief Havoc behind!
“But when Chief Havoc became what many still consider the best of all time, they retired Gold Force to stud to capitalise on his litter brother’s Fame.
“My father’s business supplied butchers and he became mates with Jack Nicholas, who had a butchery at Chatswood, was treasurer of the NSW National Coursing Association, and whose son Ron was our Chief steward for man years.
“Dad and Jack Nicholas raced dogs together but 10 years after my father quit to concentrate on work I got the urge to become a trainer.
“The kennels in our family home at Birrong were still standing so in 1969 I bought a Best Sun bitch named Con Girl.
“She didn’t win but a year later I won my first race with Takiri Flash at Lithgow.
“In 1971 I moved to Surfers Paradise to run two butcher shops with my brother Ron, and five years later began training my first really good greyhound, RonRay Girl.
“She gained a special Queen Of Southport award in 1976 when she won nine of 11 races on the old Gold Coast track while she also won a heap of races on the now defunct Brisbane Gabba track, where she finished second in a Queensland Futurity.
“RonRay Girl was by Benjamin John, the champion trained by Stan Cleverley, who was a good friend of my father’s and whose wife Beryl was godmother to our daughter Sharon.
“Stan, along with Jack Irwin and my dad, were my greyhound training mentors and when RonRay Girl won her first race at Wentworth Park Stan, who was a big punter, put $2000 on her at 16/1 ($17).
“First prize-money was only $700 so Stan gave me a large financial present."
Steele has plenty of noteworthy moments in the sport over the years.
“My biggest win was in the 2009 Nowra Puppy Classic when Tian Hao Lee beat his kennelmate and sister Tian Hao Miss by a head in 29.86," he said.
“Tian Hao Lee had also broken the 30-second barrier winning his heat and semi-final of the Nowra Classic but his brother RonRay Express was faster and was potentially my best ever.
“My best performed greyhound has been RonRay Chief, who won 26 races for me and for Terry Reid when I sent him to Melbourne."
Steele only has three greyhounds presently in work, including Lady RonRay's litter brother RonRay Spirit.
“He is every bit as good as her but has injured a stopper tendon will be out of action until the end of the year," Steele said.
“They are out of RonRay Disco, who was an outstanding short course sprinter for me when trained in NEW ZEALAND by Ray Adcock.
“It was Ray, who is now 80 years old and as spritely as ever, who convinced me to breed from RonRay Disco.
“Best sprinter I’ve seen is definitely Brett Lee, whose wins in the Golden Easter Egg and Adelaide Cup were fantastic to watch.
“When it comes to stayers, I’d plump for Travel Rev ahead of Miss High Lo."
Steele is now living out his dream of working full-time with greyhounds.
“My ambition was always to retire at 50 to concentrate on greyhounds and 16 years ago I managed to do that," he said.
“These Days my wife Irina and I are also breeding and rearing pups on our property at Menangle Park.
“In 2002 we went to Menangle Park to buy a couple of puppies from Julie and Bruce Fletcher and finished up buying the place next door!’’
