Barry Ward never contemplated the thought that he would become a greyhound breeder. He had delved into horse racing ownership, then found his way into the dogs. But now, he part-owns one of the most successful broodbitches, and is thoroughly enjoying a different side of sport.
Ward, who played professional rugby league in the 1990s and 2000s predominantly with CANTERBURY and then St Helens in England, part-owns Solar Pak, whose record post her racing career is astonishing.
“I was into the horses, then a mate of mine years back, he had a dog - Adris Echo - she won the big (Auction) race at Dapto,” Ward explained. “She went to Bombastic Shiraz and I bought a pup - Bustling Shiraz - and he ended up winning $20,000 and won at Wenty Park, and that got us addicted to it.
“We had a good ride so we kept buying more and more. My mate Mark Walden (who part-owns Solar Pak) is really close with CHRIS O’Brien, and once Tifi had some pups, we got in there and bought Glama Pak and Stiff Arm out of the Where’s Pedro litter, and then we just get buying through.
“The next litter - to Mogambo - Solar Pak came along … and the rest is history.”
Solar Pak raced 29 times for eight wins and eight placings, but her real worth would be post-racing.
A mating with Fernando Bale in 2015 produced a litter 10 pups – six dogs and four bitches. All 10 have raced, and all 10 have won, seven of them in the city.
And between the 10 - Little Digger (25), Nino De Oro (15), Off The Leash (14), Zagati (12), Twenty Tamar (12), Manila Kampyon (11), Phoenix Pak (9), Latitude Zero (8), Franky Pak (6) and Pixel Pak (6), they have won a staggering 118 races.
“It’s been outstanding, it’s been amazing, every one of them has won … a lot of city wins as well,” Ward said. “In the next litter – she had 11 pups to Collision – and we have one of those which hasn’t won yet … Inversion.
“We also had the slowest two out of the first litter - Pixel Pak and Latitude Zero,” he joked.
“We keep at least one, sometimes two from each litter. We kept a bitch from the first litter, and we’ve kept a bitch from her litter to Barcia Bale."
It is that latest litter out of Collision which has tongues wagging currently. Feral Franky - winner of the Group 3 New Sensation, second in the recent Speed Star in Melbourne, and favourite for next week's Richmond Riches - is one of the stars of the litter, and has won eight races, but my no means is he the only one who can motor.
Good Odds Harada (pictured), has nine wins and last week took out the Group 3 Bob Payne Sprint at Wentworth Park. His sister Good Odds Meghan (nine races) was a placegetter in the Ladies Bracelet last week and is the fastest qualifier for next Friday's Graeme Hull Memorial Cup at Wagga Wagga.
Good Odds Buddy (seven wins), a 29.55s winner at Wentworth Park, is second fastest into that Wagga Wagga feature event after Friday's heats, while Freaky Franky has won five races, Solar Sky has won four races, and the other two of the litter to race, Gaupo and Inversion, are yet to break their ducks.
So already the litter, which turned two in April, have won 42 races between including Group successes.
Solar Pak in February was served by Bella Infrared, giving her owners a good American outcross.
Ward said both he and Walden follow the fortunes of all of Solar Pak’s progeny, and often are at the track supporting them.
“Yes we keep track of every one of them, because if they go well, then it’s good for us from a breeding perspective. We’ve already had a lot of interest in the next litter,” Ward said.
“But it’s good to get out there and see a lovely couple like Lindsay and Ellen Nichol, good people, who have Littler Digger and Zugati, and now they have Feral Franky and Freaky Franky. They have been in the sport for so many years and now they are having great success and with dogs we bred.
“That’s great.”
