Jason Magri-trained greyhounds finished first, second and fourth in Friday night's Ladbrokes Cannonball at Richmond, a fitting reward for someone who never wanted to be anything but a greyhound trainer.
Zip Out Zipper, at $4.60, just lasted to beat the $2 favourite All On Mum in a photo finish, with Magri's other finalist Canya Captivate a $6 chance, almost completing a rare trifecta by finishing fourth.
Magri, 48, grew up helping his father Tony, a hobby trainer, with his small team, and said he always wanted to make a career out of the sport he loved.
"Dad had a fair bit of success and trained a good stayer called Diamond Crown,'' Jason Magri recalled.
"My brother Ray was an electrician and when I left school I started working for him.
"That only lasted a few days though because all I wanted to do was make a living training greyhounds.
"Ray was my boss then but our roles have reversed because he has quit the electrical work and these days is my right hand man on my property at Kemps Creek, which covers a bit over two hectares."
"My first big race winner though was Ritsa Star in the 1999 Canberra Cup.
"I was so overwhelmed with that win I actually cried with joy.
"Richmond is my local track and I pre-train and educate all my dogs there.
"But while I naturally have a soft spot for Richmond, I am a huge fan of the Bulli course because it is such a great one-turn track.''
While Jason Magri has enjoyed unparalleled success over the past three years, he has been training record-breakers for 16 years.
He prepared Gun Sort, who set a Richmond 400m record in winning a Maiden Final in April, 2008, and trained Loathsome to break the Richmond 535m record in March, 2011.
Nineteen months later Oh So Smooth, another Magri-trained greyhound, smashed the Dapto 520m record, clocking 29.51.
It is a tribute to Magri's reputation that he has been entrusted with Zip Out Zipper, as that greyhound is owned by Natina Howard, whose husband Robert is a highly successful trainer.
Robert Howard explained: "Jason pre-trained a couple of dogs for us a year or so ago and they didn't turn out to be much good.
"So he said to us 'you had better give me a good one soon' and we did.
"Actually Jason saw Zip Out Zipper win over 388m at Gosford in 22.20 and called us and said that was the one he wanted.''
Marty Hallinan, the most successful breeder and owner in NSW, divides most of his young stock between Magri and another leading Sydney trainer, Minnie Finn.
"Jason approached me six or seven years ago and asked me if I would be prepared to let him train for me.
"I gave him a couple of dogs to see how he fared with them and he hasn't looked back.
"There is also a litter of 10 youngsters by Feral Franky from my former top-class bitch Zipping Niseko, who won 17 of 38 starts, that I will be sending to Jason in three weeks' time.''
