Emphatic proof that owners do not need to spend big money to race city winning greyhounds is that three of this Wednesday's Ladbrokes Money Wire Series finalists at Wentworth Park are bargain basement purchases.
Three of the six heat winners, Wighton, Thomas Jay and Let's Win Meisha, cost their owners an average of only $1000 each.
Wighton, who took his earnings to $23,000 with his heat win last Wednesday, cost just $1000 while Thomas Jay, who has now won nine of 38 starts for his owner-trainer, was a $2000 purchase.
Let's Win Meisha, whose heat win lifted her prizemoney to more than $22,000, was bred from a brood bitch which was a gift to her owner-trainer Bradley Barnes.
"A friend of mine at Canberra had bought Let's Win Meisha's mother Winsome Courtney but when she finished racing I asked him if I could breed a litter from her,'' Barnes recalled.
"He sent her to me for nothing but after nine months she had not come in season so I asked him if I could race her.
"Winsome Courtney won at Wentworth Park for me as a $43 outsider but then came in season and when she was mated with El Grand Senor she produced Let's Win Meisha.''
When Let's Win Meisha won her Money Wire heat she was making 18th Wentworth Park appearance since December 13, resulting in two wins and ten placings.
"She is only a bit over 26kg but Let's Win Meisha loves to race,'' Barnes said.
"If I start her only once a week she does not begin as well, I think she gets too excited, but if she races every Wednesday and Saturday Let's Win Meisha jumps faster and performs better.''
Just under two years ago Thomas Jay's owner-trainer Matt Martin quit his job as a roof tiler to devote more time to his new hobby of training greyhounds.
"I obtained a bread run to pay the bills and that enabled me to give full attention to Thomas Jay, who I had bought for only $2000,'' Martin after the dog's Wentworth Park heat win.
"There had been doubts about whether Thomas Jay would be able to run more than 450 metres but he has won twice for me over 520m at Wenty Park.
"He only just scraped in last Wednesday but I think his Wentworth Park win four nights earlier may have flattened him and with a week off he should improve in the final.
"I don't have any mentors, I use commonsense to train Thomas Jay, feeding the best meat and kibble and giving him plenty of care and exercise.''
Wighton had won a race at The Meadows for a leading Victorian trainer when the dog lost form and was sent to NSW.
Hobby trainer Shane Pulbrook, a mechanic from Tahmoor, and his pal Tod Hansen were able to buy the greyhound for just $1000, and Wighton has compiled an imposing record since joining Pulbrook's kennels.
"Since I got him, Wighton has had 22 starts for nine wins and 11 placings, and in one of his two unplaced runs he fell over when he was about to go to the lead in a race at Wentworth Park.''
Last Wednesday night's six heat winners were Belle's Chorus, who clocked 30.03, Elzy Lay (30.09), Woodlands Drive (30.25), Let's Win Meisha (30.29), Wighton (30.32) and Thomas Jay (30.36).
Even the Ron Bell-trained Belle's Chorus, fastest qualifier for Wednesday night's final, cost owners Ken Peddie and Ray Smith only $2500 as a puppy.
"Before the heats Belle's Chorus had been placed in three of five Wentworth Park starts but box one made the difference last Wednesday as she is desperate for an inside draw,'' Smith said.
