May'09 - Greyhounds Queensland

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LEFT: Peter Simpson preparing tohead out on yet another delivery.ABOVE: Peter's mum Lila with oneof her many stars.AROUND the mid 1980s, Peter Simpsonreckoned he’d had enough of greyhoundracing.Peter was born into a kennel rather than ahome. His mum Lila was a famous face aroundthe industry on the Northern Rivers of NSWall her life. Her parents, too, had racedgreyhounds for decades.Lila had great success with such qualitygallopers as Dark And Gloomy, Deb’s Jeweland Fast Wendy. Dark And Gloomy won theGabba Galaxy among her 21 victories from 42starts. She was also third to Acclaim Star inthe Brisbane Cup.“I can remember driving to the Gabba eachweek with Dark And Gloomy,” said Peter. “Wewould drive down the Lions Road in a carwith no air conditioning and some days in 40degree heat. Often we wouold pull over andput Dark And Gloomy into one of the creeksto cool down.”It was Dark And Gloomy, or to be precisea litter of five Wild Port pups she produced,that swayed Peter to take a break from theindustry.“In the Wild Port litter was a dog calledJet Port who we set up for a big punt atBeenleigh,” said Peter. “We got bookie RayTimms to help us put $3300 on him. ChickaScott helped.”Jet Port won but tore a hamstring in thewin.“Mum died soon after, the litter didn’tcome up as good as we thought and I thoughtit was time to get out.”Peter and wife Helen had five acres atStratheden and as owners-builders put up theirdream home.Colleen Northfield, wife of Bill, indirectlygot the Simpsons back into greyhoundracing.“Bill and Colleen had won the Vic PetersClassic with Leon Mal at Wentworth Park in1993,” said Peter. “Colleen was driving pastBuckinghamChuckWhite and Fawn Dog, Sept 2004, 32.6kgs.Token Prince-Stargari Heiress by Just The Best48 starts, 25 wins, 11 2nds, 3 3rds, $100,000WON2007 Group 2 Gold Coast Cup2007 National Sprint Qld Final2006 National Sprint Qld Final2006 Qld Derby ConsolationSECOND2006 Group 1 National SprintTHIRD2006 Group 2 Gold Coast CupFINALIST2006 Flying Amy Puppy Classic2007 Group 1 Winter Carnival CupIpswich 30.40 (then 2ndfastest to only SurfLorian), 30.42, 30.43;Albion Park 29.96; GoldCoast 24.11, 25.68; 12wins at Albion Park;Stud Fee: $550(Stud fee does not includeprogesterone tests or vets fees)and invited us to a big family BBQ to celebratethe win.”Peter, Helen and Helen’s daughter Sharonhad such a great time, saw what an impactLeon Mal’s victory had, and decided to getback into dogs.“Sharon pestered us. She was 14 andloves greyhounds. Mangu Khan was our firstdog and he won 10 races. We had a lot of funwith him,” said Peter.But Peter had to learn to train all overagain.“I’d known Peter Giles and gave him a callto get some inside knowledge,” said Peter.“We put in a couple of competition runs andgave away walking dogs. It was exhaustingus and the dogs.”Peter says dogs of today are different tothe days when his mum trained back in the1970s and early 80s.“Today the dogs need to be kept fresh inthe mind. The mentality has changed,” heOverflowBreakerBrindle Dog, Feb 2005, 32kgs(Surf Lorian-Floodfawn)18 wins2007 Group 2 Shepparton Cup2006 Vic Breeders TraralgonTraralgon Trk Rec 29.62Sandown 29.84Meadows 30.05Albion Park 30.14Wentworth Park 30.18Ballarat 25.27Shepparton 25.18Cranbourne 30.82Sale 25.18LitterbrotherNorth Seawon 2007WarragulCupContact:Kathie Evans 0412 724789said.Before he and Helen knew it they had fivedogs on their Stratheden property.“We got really excited,” said Helen.Peter was working at the local meat worksand Helen was nursing. Peter gave work awayto train dogs and the pair nearly went broke.“I had to go back to work,” he said. “Butwe had been bitten by the bug again sodecided to look at other ways to make a quidout of the industry rather than just train.”They put in some rearing yards, built ashed and out of necessity went into the rearingof pups.“John Dart gave us some pups to get usstarted,” said Peter.One of the first they reared was BlueSonnet best known as granddam of Groupwinner run’s House.“We were successful so it just grew andgrew quickly,” said Helen.Now the Simpsons have 13 dogs intraining in the racing kennel including recentAlbion Park winner Rose Chalice and anumber of young dogs just starting theircareers.They also have a broodbitch kennel thatincludes Sobbing Queen, Glass Placard, MissGo Getta, Cyclone Lee, Dora Lee and Jagleeall beautifully bred.“We’ve got 28 pups up to six weeks old,and another 26 above that age being reared,”said Helen.And a repeat Surf Lorian-Glass Placardlitter is about to be broken in.Pups on the property include Pure Octane-Cheeky Sprite (three-quarter to QueenLauryn), Go Wild Teddy-Compliant (Reiddamline), Where’s Pedro-Miss Go Getta (dama sister to Queen Lauryn), Hallucinate-Viscaya(dam winner of the Vince Curry), WhiskyAssassin-Dora Lee and Trent Lee-ZippityQuick.While the rearing business and thetraining has been a financial help, a couple ofyears ago Peter decided to branch out.He introduced a transport business.“I was getting carriers all the time andoften couldn’t get a service when I wanted it,and it was expensive,” he said.He and Helen discussed it and decided toget into the business.The (May, 2009) Journal Page 18
You can find us at www.renzopark.comRenzo Parkhas manydifferenthats“I now do between 3500 and 4000kilometres a week,” said Peter. Almost all ofthe work is at weekends.He delivers frozen semen from a numberof stud throughout <strong>Queensland</strong> and NSW tovet clinics and other studmasters, theseinclude Tony and Jane Apap, Frozen Puppies,Sam Cauchi, John and Jane Carruthers,Charmer Lodge, David Cairns and DarrenMcDonald.Peter’s transports routine is usuallyleaving home about 3am on a Saturday,arriving in Gatton by breakfast time, on toBrisbane and then back home.“I have a shower, gives the dogs a breakand then head to Sydney arriving at SamCauchi’s about 9 or 10pm where I stayovernight,” he said.He spends Sunday dropping off andpicking dogs and frozen semen around thecity before heading back to Stratheden. Someweekends he will head to Marty Hallinan’s atOrange and will stay overnight around there.“A good week is transporting 20 dogs,sometimes it can be as low as two or three,”he said.The success of Renzo Park rearing andtransport has seen Peter and Helen sponsorthe highly successful Renzo Park Future StarsClassic at Lismore.“We are talking to Lismore now aboutextending the distance to 520 metres,” saidPeter.The Simpson’s success has also broughta downside.“We hadn’t been able to take a holidayfor 18 years,” said Helen. “That was untilMark and Carmel Johnston just kicked us outHelen andPeter withpups beingreared ontheirproperty.a few years ago for a weekend break.“They wouldn’t take no for an answer,came up here and looked after the place whilewe got a few days break.”That break was to Melbourne and Peterand Helen headed out to Darren McDonald’sproperty and got some helpful advice andbecame great friends with the leader oftrainers in that state.The Johnstons have planned anotherworking holiday at Renzo Park soon to givePeter and Helen another break.Renzo Park is named after Renzo Piano(City Blitz-Spitfire Bale) who Peter and Helenraced out of the Peter Giles kennel with goodsuccess in the late 1990s. He made a GoldCollar final in Melbourne for them.“We’ve made a lot of great friends throughthe transport and rearing businesses,” saidPeter. “Helen does all the dogs herself at theweekends while I’m away.“I’ve transported a lot of moneys worthof dogs in the couple of years we’ve been atthis business. Everyone’s dogs are special tothem and we treat those dogs like they areour own.“I have to compliment Paul Wheeler andhis family on the quality of care they put intotheir broodbitches,” he said.“I take my hat off to them.Those broodbitches aremagnificent.”Peter was too young toremember when his mum racedthat champion of the NorthernRivers Happy Cappy, winner of52 of his 105 race starts.“Happy Cappy lived in ourhouse. Mum always told usthat when Happy Cappy wona race, he would wander aboutthe house. But if he was beaten,he wouldn’t get off his ownbed. He sulked.”Neville Phelps talked Lilainto breaking in dogs.“It was in 1973 and mumstarted by charging $30 aweek,” said Peter. “There is seven kids in ourfamily. My sister Tammy, my brother Colinand I and nephew Steve Keep would helpmum with the breaking in.”Stars like Blue Perlita (dam of championMiss Perlita), Lucky Program, Ben Hamilton,Rudd McGrath were all Gabba stars educatedby Lila.Peter and Helen are not about to branchout further into the breaking in business.“We haven’t got much time to ourselvesnow,” he said.“The phone never stops here. We oftenlike to head down to the beach for an hour orso later in the afternoon, or go out to dinnerjust to get away from the place for a little whiletogether.”But then it’s back to Renzo Park and thebusiness. Peter and Helen love every minuteof it.Brett Lee-Nunkeri ByeBlack Lee(by Benjason)Sensational!Start to hisstud careerRocky Future StarsBlistering Speed 1stAraluen Tiger 3rdAlbion ParkShaka's Force 30.56 on debut28 wins from first 2 litters to race!Fee: $550 (incl GST)Wayne Crick (07) 55467617 or 0417 735935POSTMAN'S RIDGEGreyhound ComplexTrialling Daily(Closed Tues & Wed)Winter (May 1- Sept 30) 7.30am to 9amSummer (Oct 1 - April 30) 7am to 9amContact John and Sharyn Collins0437 789076 or 0408 789076Ph (07) 46303688The (May, 2009) Journal Page 19
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May'09 - Greyhounds Queensland

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