There has not been a more prolific litter racing over the past 18 months than Bringelly owner-trainer Mark Wilcox’s 2011 offspring from his bitch Winning Shiraz.
Her seven greyhounds sired by Knocka Norris have won 99 races, a remarkable tally for 59-year-old Wilcox, who retired from his roof plumbing business just three years ago.
It has been an enjoyable ride for Wilcox, who was introduced to greyhound racing at a young age.
“At 15 I was a regular at Wentworth and Harold Parks and when I started work I seemed to be surrounded by greyhound folk,’’ Wilcox said.
“When I launched my own business our employees included current trainers Ron Field and Stan Beckingham, while Dean Swain was our apprentice roof plumber.
“Running my own business left me enough time to train no more than three greyhounds but the second one I raced, Flying Dragon, was my first winner at SINGLETON in 1978.
“I had bought her for $400 but in the early 1980s I paid $1000 apiece for Free Sovereign and Right Reign, who had won eight races for leading central coast trainers Pat and Jimmy Ward.
“The Wards won the 1979 Harold Park Christmas Gift with Facsimile and later the 1984 Tweed Heads Galaxy with Hallowed and 1988 Richmond Derby with MAGGIORE but Free Sovereign and Right Reign wound up winning 22 races for me, including a heat of the Dave Alexander Memorial at Harold Park.
“Right Reign and Free Sovereign were by Benjamin John from Free Reign and were born on August 26, which must have been an omen because that was also the birth date of my best mate, Casino trainer John Free."
The pair went on to form a great racing partnership.
“John and I were always swapping and sharing puppies," Wilcox said. "We shared ownership of Winning Smile, the grandmother of Knocka’s Return and company.
“Winning Smile produced the winners of 140 races with her third litter including Dawn Breaker, Running Issue and Winning Shiraz, the dam of my current good litter.
“My first city winner was Real Royalty in the late 1990s but back then first prize-money in town was around $700 so I preferred to go to a bush track and punt that amount on one of my dogs."
Wilcox has enjoyed plenty of recent success with the likes of handy pair Knocka's Return and Natural Player.
“Although Knocka’s Return’s win in the Goulburn Cup gave me my biggest thrill, he and Natural Player, who has won 24 from 38 races, are not the quickest I have raced," Wilcox said.
“Fine Thought, a gift to me from Johnny Free, won 28 races and was the fastest.
“Knocka’s Return’s 25 wins include four at Wentworth Park while his litter brother Highly Respected has also won four there among his 20 wins.
“I am getting Natural Player ready for a tilt at Wentworth Park where he has hand-slipped in 24.31 so he can handle the track.
“But he won’t hold up to racing there every week like Knocka’s Return, who slipped 24.12 at his first look at Wenty.
“Natural Player finished second to Paw Licking in this year’s Maitland Cup but even more disappointing was not winning a race in town with Sure Advice.
“He won 20 races during the 1990s and was a brilliant beginner at every track except Wentworth Park.
“Other good dogs I’ve had include Castello, who won three at Bulli at the end of the 1980s and old Durbidge, who won five Wentworth Park races before being retired due to a hock injury."
Wilcox said he had taken an individual approach to greyhound training.
“I haven’t really had a training mentor," he said. "I have simply listened to advice over the years and then applied common sense and trial and error.
“I’m a great believer in starting the careers of young greyhounds on straight tracks.
“You can have a youngster who is a fast beginner but once they get banged around on bend starts, suddenly they don’t begin so well."
“These Days I have litter brothers Knocka’s Return, Highly Respected, Natural Player and Buster Shiraz in work and also have six 12 months old puppies by Magic Sprite from Winning Shiraz’s next litter.
“I train them on five-and-a-half acres at Bringelly and am able to condition them on my own straight track.
“Zoom Top was before my time so I’ll nominate Brett Lee as the best I have seen and while I rate Bulli as my favourite track I have only missed three Grafton winter carnivals since 1978.’’
