Handy greyhound Hardliner finished third in Friday's Don Waldon Memorial final at Casino but his trainer Mick Patterson concedes he has no expectations of ever getting another dog to compare with He Knows Uno.
"Hardliner is a son of He Knows Uno's sister Maddie Louise and while Hardliner has had nine wins and 16 placings from 40 starts and gives his all every time he steps onto the track, He Knows Uno was a once in a lifetime greyhound,'' Patterson said.
"I realise I have had my turn so I don't even dream of acquiring another like He Knows Uno,'' Patterson said.
Little wonder, as He Knows Uno earned $212,605 between 2010 and 2013, recording 35 wins, 21 seconds and a dozen thirds from 83 starts.
"He won a pair of group ones, Brisbane Cups OVER 520m and 710m, finished second in Radley Bale's 2011 Golden Easter Egg and reached 23 group race finals,'' a proud Patterson recalled.
"He Knows Uno was on the podium after group finals OVER 400m, 500m, 600m and 700m and was nominated for five Greyhound of the Year awards, three in Queensland and twice in NSW.
"Now eight years old and the famly pet of my wife Lillian and myself, He Knows Uno lives in the house with us.''
Patterson, 64, has five greyhounds in work at Iluka, on the far north coast, but has been involved in the sport for only 15 years.
"I have always been interested in greyhound racing but for 25 years I owned a prawn trailer and it was not feasible to also train greyhounds,'' Patterson said.
"Prawn trawling is night work and we were often out on the water for consecutive nights.
"Along with a couple of mates I bought my first greyhound Satnav, at the Dapto Puppy Auction, and won with him at Albion Park.
"When I began training I was fortunate to gain advice from trainers like Reg Gardoll and Ray Minty but one of the great things about this sport is that knowledgable people are always willing to help newcomers.
"My first good dog was Stick By Me, which I bred from a gift bitch, Sticky Web.
"I didn't know much about training and would put Stick By Me in the back of my truck and take him to the beach but he still managed to win 10 decent races between 2004 and 2007.
"I bred He Knows Uno from my bitch Honeymoon's OVER, who was a daughter of another of my bitches, Divorce Remorse.
"There was a lot of pressure training a top notcher like He Knows Uno because I had to travel to Sydney and Melbourne with him and it was an 18 hours round trip to Wentworth Park and it took 18 hours each way to get to Sandown or OLYMPIC PARK.
"I used to joke that He Knows Uno was a wonderful travelling companion who could do just about anything but my only regret was that I couldn't teach him to drive!''
While He Knows Uno won major city races like The Meadows Distance Championship, it's typical of a "bushie'' like Patterson that he considers the dog's win in a Grafton Cup the highlight of his career.
"He broke the track record that night and so many locals, a lot of of whom had never previously been to a greyhound meeting, came along to see him in action,'' Patterson said.
"That was a memorable night especially as Grafton has always been my favourite track, and each year I count down to the beginning of the annual July carnival there.''
Apart from, obviously, He Knows Uno, Mick Patterson's favourite greyhound was Brett Lee. "When you were drawn in a race with him you aimed to finish second,'' he says.
And in conclusion: "I wish everyone could enjoy training an equivalent to He Knows Uno. It gives one such a wonderful ride.''
