When Susan Howard married John McDermott in 1971 it was indeed a match made in heaven.
She was the daughter of greyhound owners Pat and Cliff Howard and he was an up and coming 27-year-old race caller specialising in the dogs.
“My first dog came from Harry Boyle’s property at Hinton," Mcdermott recalled. "It won a race for me when I was 19, around when I commenced as the on course broadcaster at Singleton.
“My wage was three pounds 10 shillings ($7) per meeting but I rarely got home with any of it - I usually knocked it off on the punt.
“I had taken over at Singleton from Barry Garretty, who later worked as a clerk for Sydney rails bookmaker Col Tidy, while legendary Newcastle broadcaster Billy Hill lived in the same street as me in New Lambton.
“And that often related tale about Billy tipping nine of the 10 winners at a Beaumont Park, Newcastle meeting and having only one bet all day, you can guess which one he backed, is indeed true.
“When I met Susan, whose brother Robert trains the recent Wentworth Park winner Zip Ya Zipper, we owned a few greyhounds which were trained by Harry Holmes.
“His brother Frank trained the 1962 Vic Peters Classic and Paws Of Thunder winner Black Top, who became one of the greatest stud dogs of all time.
“But once I settled into broadcasting I only ever held a handler’s licence with Susan becoming the trainer."
The couple quickly started having success with the likes of Betty's Choice and Our Talisman, a super 400m dog.
“We won 15 races with him and he later won another 10 for a different trainer," McDermott said.
“In 1987 Our Zephyr gave Susan and I our biggest thrill when she won three major races within six weeks.
“Another fast beginner, she took out the AWA Trophy and Winfield Princess double at Beaumont Park along with the Gosford Goldmine, which was a big race in those days.
“Probably our best greyhound was Flying Kokomo, who was bred by Harold Griffiths and owned by Moree’s Veronica and Terry Wilson.
“The Wilsons wanted one of Harold’s breed and asked Susan and I to select one on their behalf.
“We chose a pup who raced as Flying Kokomo, and After being reared by Ross Woolley and broken in by Kenny Cheetham, she became a top notcher.
“She won seven races at Moree for the Wilsons and After they sent her to Susan she won another 18, including two at Harold Park."
Flying Kokomo was a Singleton specialist but was also caught right on the line in a Cessnock Cup final by Robust Character.
“I called that race," McDermott said. "After I sang the praises of Robust Character’s win, Terry Wilson called me and said he felt like kicking in the television set because that dog had nosed out our greyhound in a photo finish.
“After we sent Flying Kokomo back to Terry and Veronica, she won another seven races so she scored 32 wins in total.’’
“Macca’’, as he is widely known in the greyhound world, says his favourite tracks have been Singleton and Newcastle (Beaumont Park) because those were the courses where Susan’s greyhounds had most success.
Beaumont Park was also his pet track on which to call races.
“The first time Zoom Top raced at Newcastle in the late 1960s she drew the biggest crowd ever seen at Beaumont Park," he said. "They could barely cram the people into the course.
“She was obviously the best greyhound I’ve seen but I also have fond memories of her sire Black Top and also of that sensational beginner Roman Earl, who was joint NSW Greyhound of the Year in 1966.’’
