At 18 Ross Burton paid $50 for his first greyhound, Magna Dundee, but then discovered she had previously dropped a hind leg muscle so naturally she failed to win a race.
Undeterred, Burton bred from her and was rewarded when Magna Dundee, mated to 1965 National Derby winner Chariot Charm, whelped a wonderful litter of stayers.
“Her daughter Magna Blonde was my first city winner, over 800 yards (732 metres) at Harold Park,’’ Burton recalled.
“Magna Dundee’s other offspring included Magna White, another Harold Park staying winner, Fiasco, who broke the Bathurst marathon record, and Frisky Chariot, a top class bitch who during a month’s racing won eight long-distance events.’’
Those greyhounds launched Burton on a career that is still going strong for the 66 year old and his wife Marie, who recently moved their training operation to an 80 acre property at Nowra.
“When I was a kid my uncle, Albert Burton, who lived at Auburn, was a leading trainer during 1950s and had many top notchers which carried the China prefix,’’ Burton said.
“And at Regents Park Public School my classmates included John Carruthers, who later trained 1998 National Sprint Championship winner Rapid Journey, Ray Steele, who owns Warrnambool Cup winner Ronray Spirit, and Ray Minty, who won the 1990 National Derby with Master Hilo.
“When I left school I became a labourer for the Water Board and while there trained my first winner, a pup by Spotted Lightning called Eight Eighty who won at MOSS VALE.
“After switching to driving trucks I became mates with another truckie, John Drady, who trained the 1970 Vic Peters Classic winner Shapely Escort, and he was best man at my wedding to Marie.
“President of the trucking association was Joe Maloney, a NSW National Coursing Association committeeman and the father of Kevin Maloney, who is now my principal client.
“In the 1960s and 70s I raced regularly at Bathurst and it was common to race there on a Saturday Afternoon and start the same greyhounds at Orange’s Wade Park circuit that night.
“There were over 100 bookmakers at Harold Park in those days and one night I backed one of my dogs from 33/1 ($34) to 25/1 ($26) and when it won I cleared $50,000.
“It was enough to buy a house at Barrenjoey Road, Ettalong, and I remember not being able to cram all the punting winnings into my pockets.’’
“After being contracted to Inghams’ Chickens for 32 years, transporting feed to their farms, I launched my own trucking business.
“But I always trained greyhounds as a hobby and during that period secured my best greyhound, Truly Active, who won the group one Queensland Futurity on the now defunct Gabba track.
“She was by the 1978 National Derby winner True Leader and along with her sister True Nicky was a terrific performer for us.
“We trained Canberra record breaker Bigbad Wesley, Nelson Eddie, whelped in 1986, who was a Wentworth Park top grader as was Banshee Whiz while National Digger, who won nine races in 1992 and 1993, broke the Wenty 720m record.
“Then I bought Kirk’s Choice from Marty Hallinan and he was a terrific stayer, wining 18 races during 2001 and 2002, including the NSW Distance Championship.’’
Over two decades ago Burton met Joe Maloney’s son Kevin and was soon training greyhounds for the former Elders executive who now owns thoroughbred racing’s Scone stud showpiece Segenhoe.
Mining magnate Maloney owns three litters of pups, by Cosmic Rumble, Magic Sprite and El Grand Senor, being prepared for racing on the Burtons’ Nowra property.
“I’ve been training for Kevin for the past few years and while he likes a bet there is no pressure from him for us to tip him a winner,’’ said Kevin.
“But I have managed to put him onto a couple of $34 chances which got the cash.’’
Ross Burton, a former president and current committeeman of the Richmond Club, rates that track and Wentworth Park as his favourite courses while he says no greyhound “comes even close’’ to the immortal Zoom Top as the sport’s all-time great.
In recent times Marie and Ross Burton have proven adept at buying inexpensive performed greyhounds with great success.
“We paid $8000 for Woods and he has won 15 races and earned over $55,000 while we purchased My Awesome Opal from the NSW Northern Rivers and he has earned $47,000 from 17 wins,’’ Ross Burton said.
“We bought Soaring Eagle who has won 17 races and $49,000 while another performed purchase, Knot Telling Ya, has earned $48,000 in stakes through 13 wins.’’
The Burtons trained 75 winners in 2014 and with clients like Kevin Maloney, along with their own “nose’’ for sniffing out bargain buys, their training future seems assured.
