When Billy Dance retired from playing rugby league he took up training greyhounds as a hobby - and his dogs have seldom been far from the winner's circle ever since.
The highlight of Dance's career was when his fine stayer Ibrox Park, named after the high school he had attended in Sydney's Leichhardt, took out the Group 1 National Distance Championship at Adelaide's Angle Park in 1997.
Dance's training career took over after he retired from playing for Balmain Tigers in 1987, although his involvement with the sport stretched back further than that.
"When I was growing up my parents kept pet dogs - we were always dog people," Dance said. "While I was playing as a centre three-quarter for Balmain reserve and third grade, I owned a greyhound trained by a neighbour, Merv Black.
"That dog had no success but after retiring from footy I began training War Sapphire, who was by the 1980 NSW Greyhound of the Year, Fast Sapphire, and he was my first winner.
"My second greyhound, Monotony, did not race but became the mother of Chariot's Gift, the fastest I have ever trained.
"Ibrox Park won more prize money but Chariot's Gift was quicker, the difference being that when Chariot's Gift was racing between 1988 and 1991 I was a rookie trainer and made a few mistakes with her.
"Despite my inexperience as a trainer Chariot's Gift won 27 races including 11 at Wentworth Park, six over 720m and five over 520m."
It was Ibrox Park, who was named in unusual circumstances, who later became a star for Dance.
"After Chariot's Girft retired I attended a reunion at my old high school," Dance said. "When I got home vowed to name a dog Ibrox Park.
"And when mated to Worthy Reward, Chariot's Gift produced Ibrox Park, while another litter which she whelped to imported dog GROVE WHISPER comprised six city winners.
"Among them was War Whisper, who won the semi-classic Potential Stakes Final for me in 1997, the first time that race was held on the Wentworth Park sand track.
"I also won a Dave Alexander Memorial Final at Wentworth Park with Laura Dean but a bigger win came in the 2007 Richmond Derby with Laurie's Tigers.
"He was part-owned by rugby league forward Terry Regan, who had played first grade for Canberra, the Roosters and the Tigers.
"Terry was a great mate of the late Laurie Nicholls, Balmain's biggest fan, and that's how Laurie's Tigers got his name.
"Naturally we were all thrilled when Laurie Nicholls' namesake was able to win a big race."
Dance has enjoyed plenty of success since then.
"My most under-rated dog was War Train, who only won a couple in town but won over 20 races in all," he said. "On one memorable occasion, when a $34 chance, this greyhound defeated the top class stayer Fire Cape at CESSNOCK.
"More recently I have mostly stuck with the Ibrox prefix, and won 14 races with Ibrox Laura, five of them at Wentworth Park, between 2010 and 2012.''
Dance's current team includes Ibrox Angel, winner of five races, and Star Of Ibrox, winner of four races at Wentworth Park.
Billy Dance is a typical greyhound trainer in that he has to continue working to support his large team of retired racers.
"I have five race dogs and nine pets so I can't afford to retire,'' he quipped.
When it comes to favourites Dance named Richmond and Gosford as his preferred tracks and Brother Fox, winner of the 1984 Vic Peters Classic, as the best greyhound he has seen.
