Bill and Jan’s Graduation Gift all about the joy of racing

By Pat McLeod

Greyhound industry stalwart Bill Warner admits his sluggish bitch Graduation Gift is the reason he is still in the sport and, ironically, also the reason he and wife Jan were close to quitting.

“She is just so lovely,” he says of the Hooked On Scotch x Bella Mafia chaser.

“Such a beautiful nature and gives you 100 per cent every time she races.

“Honest, genuine, almost everything you would want in a race dog, but unfortunately as far talent goes, well, she is ordinary.

“In fact, the kennel of four race dogs we have at the moment are probably the worst I have ever had.”

Not exactly confidence-building quotes leading into Graduation Gift’s second foray at The Q, a talent-laden QGOLD heat over 390 metres on the Ladbrokes Q1 Lakeside circuit.

“She has a number of things going for her on Friday,” Warner says, pushing the pendulum back in his racer’s favour.

“She is out of box 7, and loves the wider alleys and the front line.

“She is also pretty good out of the boxes and has two wins in her past four starts.

“But then I look at the rest of the field and just shake my head.

“I am pretty sure she is out-classed. Darren Russell (Scenic Sundari), Jemma Daley (Hara’s Elsie) and Ned Snow (Fun Day) are all top trainers with dogs that I have no doubt have plenty of ability.

“My girl will give her best and if luck was to really go her way, she will be ready to take advantage of that, but I am talking a lot of luck.”  

Warner’s predicament with Graduation Gift is where every hobby trainer has been. A group-class winner is a rare commodity, while the Graduation Gifts are far more common.

“It’s why we have to be eternal optimists,” he explains.

“A couple of recent litters have not exactly resulted in a line-up of stars, hence the quality of the kennel at the moment.

“I realised quite early that Graduation Gift, was not exactly gifted, but she was not without success.

“She won her first start, over 395m at Albion, was placed fourth in her second race and then won her third start.

“I was pretty keen on selling her at that stage, however (wife) Jan was definite, ‘no way’.”

Graduation Gift then went 19 starts without saluting.

“I tried different distances with her, up to 500m, but without much success,” Warner says.

“The thing is, now, I am happy that we didn’t sell her. She got under my skin.

“Yes, it would be good to win more often with her, but the joy she gets from racing is just unbelievable.

“She just loves it and you can’t help but be so happy for her every time she races.”

In March, Graduation Gift was back in the winners’ circle at Albion Park with another two wins over the 395m.

She then had a start at the Q1 Lakeside, placing seventh.

“Although I had trialed her on that track I have no doubt she felt ‘lost’ in those surroundings when we went back to race,” Warner says.

“But I am sure she will feel much better when she races there on Friday.”

Late last year, with the current race kennel under-performing, the Thagoona-based (near Ipswich) couple were considering bowing out of the industry that they have had a long association.

But then Jan bought Bill two very well-bred pups at Christmas and an Amron Boy x Media Rights home bred-litter of four pups are looking very promising.

The pair are feeling the pendulum swinging back in their favour.

“We’re now keen to go around one more time,” Warner, 68, said.

“The pups look very nice, but this will be the last throw of the dice.”

Friday’s six QGOLD heats, for Queensland bred dogs, is the first mini-feature to be staged at The Q.

A picnic meeting has been scheduled for the two-turn, Ladbrokes Q2 Parklands circuit on Monday, with racing set to start on that track on May 5.