Mario Abela’s Castlewood Kitchens now employs 28 people and has been a greyhound racing sponsor for seven years but the business was once on the verge of collapse until being “saved’’ by a moderately performed greyhound.
A hobby trainer for 40 years and now treasurer of the Richmond Club, Mario and wife Colleen, a retired high school teacher, established their kitchen installation and renovation business 30 years ago.
“But in late 1993 things were so tough we were struggling to survive," Abela said. "We were only just managing to pay our staff’s wages and unable to take any money for ourselves.
“At the time we had a greyhound called Ally’s Lady who was second reserve for a race at Richmond which was worth $3000 to the winner.
“Ally’s Lady gained a start and I had $50 each way on her and she won, paying $28.10 for a win.
“A week later she won again at Richmond and while she was a shorter price this time I had $500 on her.
"All up she netted us $7500 in a week.
“At the time it was a fortune and it gave us enough cash flow to rescue Castlewood Kitchens.’’
Mario Abela was a 17-year-old apprentice cabinet maker when he and two friends bought their first greyhound in 1970.
The trio were true battlers and only able to get the funds to buy that first dog when they found some scrap metal and were able to sell it for $28.
“I took that money to the horse races and broke square so headed off to the greyhounds that night and turned the $28 into enough cash to pay $80 for a puppy by Benjamin John along with some advance rearing fees,’’ Abela said.
“The pup was called Johnny Basha and he only won one race despite having three different trainers.
“But Johnny Basha got me hooked on the sport.
“The first good dog we had a chance of buying was Woolley Wong, who was bred by Stella and Dick Roberts and went on to win the 1976 Association Cup for Ray Perry.
“Stella and Dick had a litter for sale but the pup we selected turned out useless and we left Woolley Wong behind!
“We struggled along with cast-offs for a few years until we bit the bullet and paid $10,000 for a pair of three months old siblings at the Dapto Auctions.
“They raced as Romantic Diva and Cudgegong Flyer with Romantic Diva winning 13 of 33 starts including the 2007 Wentworth Park Gold Cup.
“That win is still the biggest thrill I’ve had in the sport because Romantic Diva and Victorian stayer Spalding hit the line locked together and I wasn’t sure who had won.
“But Romantic Diva prevailed and I was overcome with emotion.
“Cudgegong Flyer was also fast but after winning his first two provincial starts he fell at Wentworth Park and badly injured a wrist.
“We nursed him for nine months and got him back to win just one race as he was nowhere near the dog he had been."
Romantic Diva was eventually retired to stud and proved to be a notable dam.
“Her first litter to Bombastic Shiraz was ordinary but her repeat mating to that dog produced Romantic Affair, winner of 11 races," Abela said.
"They also produced Snow Shiraz who has won eight, Amalfi Rose a winner of five races and Romantic Miss.
“Romantic Affair won in 29.70 at Wentworth Park, 29.53 at Gosford and 35.61 at Richmond before dropping a back muscle and has just resumed racing.
“While Romantic Diva is the best greyhound Colleen and I have had, the fastest is Hilda’s Boy, who has won eight races including this year’s Bankstown City Cup final.
“Hilda’s Boy was bred by us from Hilda’s Charm, which we had bought as a puppy from famous Cootamundra breeder Ted Doss.
“Hilda’s Charm was not strong but was fast early and in 2009 and 2010 she won three races in the city and her first litter, apart from Hilda’s Boy, also includes Hilda’s Best, who has won four of nine starts.’’
Colleen and Mario Abela’s brighter fortunes in the sport seem to have coincided with the purchase in 2000 of a property at Rouse Hill which had previously been owned by famous trainer Kevin Johns.
It was at Rouse Hill that Johns prepared Holstein Boy to win the 1986 National Derby and Memories Gate to take out the 1986 Paws Of Thunder while he also trained stars like Supreme Dot, The Penner and Harold Park star The Ringer.
