Trainers often speak of the pressure attached to training for big betting owners but 83-year-old Jimmy McGlinn enjoyed the roller-coaster ride of training for former massive punter Ray Johansson.
Now in his 62nd year as a trainer after recovering from bowel cancer, a heart attack and prostate cancer, Jimmy has been winning at Maitland recently with Charlie Nuttier.
“Only problem I ever had training for Ray was when I had one of his dogs going really well and he would phone and tell me not to nominate Because he didn’t want his dogs to start unless he had at least $5000 available to punt on them,’’ McGlinn said.
“He once called to say he had just lost $10,000 playing roulette so had no betting money and instructed me to keep his dog on ice for a couple of weeks.
“Then he might ring and say, I’ve just won $10,000 so get my dogs into races as quick as you can.
“But he was very good to me and when I was training Angematic and Willa Wontcha, the best dog I’ve trained, on his behalf, he sold them to me for a bargain price.
“Ray spat the dummy after losing heavily one night at Harold Park and decided to sell up so I begged with him to give me first option of buying those two greyhounds.
“He was being inundated with people wanting to buy them but he asked me what I thought they were worth and I said around $10,000 for the pair.
“He agreed that was a fair price but when I told him I didn’t have that sort of money, he asked me if I could scrape together $6000 and I got them for that amount.
“Angematic was no world beater but I was certain she would be a good brood bitch and she was - I lived off her progeny for years."
Angematic and McGlinn did indeed prove to be a successful partnership.
“Pups I trained from Angematic included Stage Supreme, Hallburg, Little Themie and Party Supreme," McGlinn said.
“After I bought Willa Wontcha I stayed in touch with Ray Johansson and when the dog won a heat of the 1981 Association Cup at Harold Park Ray had a huge win on him.
“Because he had sold me the dog cheaply I never left him out when I thought Willa Wontcha could win and in his Association Cup heat Ray had $2000 on the dog, averaging 15/1 ($16) and 16/1 ($17) for every cent.
“The track was wet that night and as Willa Wontcha had previously injured both stopper bones the soft going suited him perfectly.
“Willa Wontcha beat the champion Victorian stayer Rod’s Advice in his heat, while Harry Sarkis’ dog Black Aztec won another heat and went on to win the final.
“I also trained dogs for the former great rugby league fullback Keith Barnes, who was my catcher the night Willa Wontcha won the Association Cup heat.’’
Keith Barnes, who played 14 tests for Australia between 1959 and 1966 and scored 1,519 points for Balmain, was introduced to McGlinn by the legendary Tigers secretary Norm “Latchem’’ Robinson.
“Latchem lived near my grandmother’s house in Balmain and his wife and my auntie were great friends,’’ McGlinn explained.
“On behalf of a syndicate which included Keith Barnes I trained a dog called Come On Pancho, who landed a big betting plunge for them at WYONG, and Stripper’s Dream, which they bought from Tony Duke, owner of all the famous ‘Moss’ greyhounds.’’
Jimmy McGlinn had no family background in the sport but while employed as a plumber by hobby trainer Gordon Pearsall he offered to exercise his boss’s dogs.
“Gordon’s bitch Lady Marina contested the last live hare coursing Waterloo Cup at Rooty Hill in 1953 and Because he had to be there for the entire weekend he needed someone to walk his other greyhounds,’’ McGlinn said.
“It wasn’t long before Gordon put a bitch called Emurrah in my name and she won in 30 seconds dead on the old Gosford dirt track.
“But the first winner I actually trained myself was her son Master Murrah, who won up the straight at WYONG, while High Classic, at Harold Park, was my first city winner.
“I bred from High Classic and when mated with Black Top she produced Classic Junior who was my first winner at Wentworth Park.
“In those days I lived at Davistown on the Central Coast and neighbour Jack Elger, who had trained the great Minda Jerry and used to go fishing with my dad, along with Ray Gavenlock, a trainer from nearby Springfield, taught me a lot about conditioning.
It was from another quarter where McGlinn received some golden words.
“The best advice came from the late renowned veterinary surgeon Ron Bowen," McGlinn said.
“When I asked him about greyhounds he told me to watch what successful trainers did, to use common sense and be dedicated, and above all, to observe your dogs closely Because they can’t talk but will indicate if anything is amiss.’’
