Just as Golden Easter Egg winning trainer Rod McDonald was worrying his greyhound numbers were “out of control’’, another two dozen regally-bred puppies were whelped at Dana Lodge, named after a dairy farm his mother Sue’s family operated at Kembla Grange.
McDonald, whose bitch Dana Beatrice set a new race record of 29.70 when she won the 2009 Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park, whelped four pups to Spring Gun at the 10-acre Cowra property.
The other new mums at Dana Lodge are Dana Beatrice’s daughter Dana Moo, who had six pups to Black Magic Opal, Good Thing, who whelped six to Spring Gun, and Dana Mary, who produced eight Youngsters by Tuiaki.
“When I lived in Cowra township I had six greyhounds but since I moved to the property 12 years ago the numbers have got out of control,’’ McDonald said.
“While I was considering that, four bitches came in season within a fortnight of each other and because they were so good they had to be mated.’’
McDonald, 39, and his brother Wes, 35, also a successful trainer, grew up in the sport with grandfather John McDonald a trainer, father Peter a greyhound bookmaker’s clerk and uncle Anthony McDonald fielding at Cowra and Young greyhound meetings.
The older McDonalds have long been leading rugby league figures with John having played in 1951 against the French team which went on to thrash Australia in the test series, Anthony playing over 200 first grade games for Cowra and Peter a leading country football administrator.
“Wes and I always tagged along at meetings where dad worked as a bookie’s clerk and at 18 I took out a trainer’s licence,’’ Rod McDonald said.
“My first winner, 20 years ago, was Mount Britton, who had one start for one win when I bought him from Cowra trainer Paul Braddon for $500.
“Razor One, which I trained for Noonbinna owner-trainer Greg McAlister, was my first city winner.
“While my father, uncle and grandfather helped me I also got good advice from Mick and Geoff “Choc’’ Curtale, greyhound trainers I worked with at the local abattoirs.’’
Rod McDonald is a workaholic as he commenced employment at the abattoirs 23 years ago at the age of 16 and has the responsibility of a huge team of racing, breeding and puppy greyhounds.
As if that’s not enough, McDonald is lure driver for the trials at Cowra and also operates the lure there when required at race meetings, provided none of his own dogs are competing.
McDonald has always been a successful trainer at tracks like Cowra, Bathurst and Wagga, but he hit the big time when he bought an unraced bitch named Runaway Tiger from FORBES breeder Ray Smith.
Smith’s great all distance bitch Irinka Barbie was the 2004 NSW Greyhound of the Year while Runaway Tiger was a sister to his outstanding sprinter History Lesson.
Runaway Tiger won six races for McDonald but at stud produced Dana Betty, who became the mother of Dana Beatrice, winner of 28 races and over $250,000 in stakes.
“Dana Beatrice’s litter brother Dana Hugo was a bit quicker than his sister but he cracked a vertebrae in his back in a fall at Bathurst and was never the same dog, while another from the litter, Dana Tiger, won 30 races,’’ McDonald said.
Dana Betty was certainly no “one hit wonder’’ as she her later litters included Dana Mary, winner of 21 races, Good Thing, who saluted the judge on 32 occasions, and Cosmic Apache, over four years old and still racing, with 23 wins from 118 starts.
“Other good sprinters I had were Dana Bel, who won the Nowra Puppy Classic in October 2010, and took out The Collerson at Wentworth Park in 2011, along with Dana Beatrice’s daughter Dana Hayley, who went on to become a free for all bitch at Wentworth Park, winning 14 races,’’ McDonald said.
“Apart from old Cosmic Apache my most promising greyhounds are Dana Kis and her brother Dana Mosso, who have won seven races between them and are by Fabregas from Dana Beatrice.’’
Rod McDonald rates Brett Lee and Miata as the best greyhounds he has watched and while he likes Wentworth Park (”that’s where the money is’’) he is a fan of the new-look Temora track.
“Since it has been converted to loam Temora is the ideal track to launch the careers of Young greyhounds,’’ he said.
