Noel Mastapha has just won four races - three of them at Richmond TAB meetings - with two greyhounds he purchased to be kept as pets.
The 37-year-old garbage truck driver from Werrington, near PENRITH, owns and trains Fire By Night, who scored his second win on Wednesday at Richmond along with that dog's litter brother Cloud By Night, also a dual winner.
Amazingly neither of Mastapha's greyhounds has even been broken in, as he bought them as puppies only because he could not find suitable labradors, golden retrievers or kelpies.
"When I was unable to secure puppies from the three breeds I favoured, I discovered a breeder in Ballarat who was selling two little greyhounds for only $2500 each,'' Mastapha said.
"They were just 12 weeks old so I bought them and reared them in my backyard.
"I had no intention of ever racing them because for a start, I had no idea about how to go about doing that.
"But when the pups grew up I realised they badly wanted to run and they needed space to do that.
"Someone told me about the Appin straight greyhound track, so I took them there to see if they could have a gallop.
"When they saw the lure moving I could hardly hang onto them so I arranged for them to have a run behind the lure.
"They both seemed to go fast up the straight so I decided I might as well find out how to go about giving them some races.
"I realised they loved running and they did it naturally because when someone asked me where they were broken in I replied that had never happened, they just did it all naturally.
"Greyhound trainers I have met have been so helpful, people like Michael Eberand, Steve Lambley and Tony Pagano have been so generous is offering me advice.
"These dogs are no world beaters but Fire By Night had had 25 races for two wins and six placings while his brother Cloud By Day has had two wins and 10 placings from 28 starts.''
Super Estrella will target her second successive NSW Distance Championship following her tenacious all-the-way nose win over Tiger Jack at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
The David Smith-trained Super Estrella won the NSW title over 724m at Dapto last year, covering the trip in 43.31 when facing her first test beyond 700m.
Covid ruled out a National Distance Championship as a sequel last year but in 2022 the NSW Championship will be at Wentworth Park on August 11 with the 720m National final at headquarters on August 27.
"I was really pleased with how Super Estrella went on Saturday night because when Tiger Jack, who is such a strong finisher, was reasonably close to her on the back straight I thought he might run her down,'' Smith said.
"She hung on to win by a nose but even if the photo had gone the other way I would have still been rapt in her run, especially as the time was 41.87 on a wet track.
"Super Estrella is stronger now than she has ever been so I'm excited at the prospect of seeing her go around in the Nationals series.''
