Trainer ends season with record wins

Press, 28 July 1986, Page 35

Trainer ends season with record wins

By

STEVE WILSON

Although once a successful horse trainer, New Zealand’s top greyhound trainer, Ray Adcock, has no regrets about making the change in codes. The amiable Weedonsbased trainer has just ended the season on a record 64 & wins, beating the previous record of 62, set by Anne Cobain, of Manaia, in the 1981-82 season.

Adcock, brought up in Spreydon, often visited Addington Raceway as a boy. He enjoyed trotting so much that when he left school he worked as a stable hand for the late Mr Jack Shaw.

After gaining a solid grounding with Shaw, he ventured north to Auckland where he worked for Jack Hughes, well known in recent years as the cotrainer of Ben. Adcock attained his probationary driver’s licence and became the first relnsman to win a probationary drivers’ event in the North Island, with Heroism at Alexandra Park on September 19, 1953.

After three and a half years working for Hughes he decided to return south and once again teamed up with Jack Shaw. He then obtained his licence to train, at the age of 21.

Shaw was associated with many top gallopers, as well as trotters. Beaumaris won several big races including the Auckland and Wellington Cups while he also owned the top trotters, Vodka and Worthy Queen.

Vodka was trained towards the end of his New Zealand career by Ray Adcock, who prepared the great trotter to win the New Zealand trotting Free-For-All at the 1955 New Zealand Cup Carnival. He won his last race in New Zealand off 102

yards at Addington before being shipped to America. The son of Logan Derby was the first standardbred from Australasia to win in the United States.

Ray feels that Jack Shaw has had a big influence on him as far as his knowledge of animals goes. “He taught me so much and he was often asked by people here and overseas to select horses for them.”

Rather than pursue a driving career, Adcock found that the challenge of breaking in horses appealed more and he broke in both trotters and gallopers. He always had a strong affection for dogs and he bought a German sheperd. This interest snowballed and he became an instructor as well as a senior judge. He judged competitions here and in Australia. Life membership followed in both the Canterbury canine and kennel associations. His interest in greyhound racing started when he regularly attended whippet racing on Sundays at Prebbleton, Bower Avenue, Linwood Park and later at Marshlands.

In 1971 he was appointed the Christchurch Greyhound Racing Club’s stipendiary steward and served in that capacity for six years. During this time he took up the position as manager of Bunny Lodge at Weedons, when the owners, Mr and Mrs Webley, retired. When Mr Webley died he decided to buy the property which can cater for more than 150 dogs and cats.

When the Christchurch Greyhound Racing Club moved to Queen Elizabeth II Park he bought the mechanical lure equipment that was used at Marshlands to add to the facilities at Bunny Lodge. He began to break

greyhounds in for clients all over New Zealand. He has now broken-in more than 1500 dogs. The first dog he owned was Moss Circle which held the Wellington track record for 753 m for some time. He was encouraged by the Sydney commentator, Mr Paul Ambrosoli, to take up public training and he has never looked back. .

With more than 20 dogs in training as well ■as building a new 290 m track which has a rise of 15 feet to add to his other two tracks, Ray Adcock feels that the future of the sport is bright.

“The recent stake and turnover increases are very encouraging and I’m sure that many will realise that the whole family

can be involved. I am sure this will help to secure the sport’s future here,” he said. The well-performed Poetryman, which is now at stud in Southland is the best dog he has trained, while Linwbod Lady would rate the best bitch he has been associated with so far. Swanee Hobbs which finished fourth in the “Greyhound of the Year” award would be his most successful representative this season.

Considering there were 60 tote meetings in the North Island and 30 in the South Island this season, his record of 64 J 4 wins is a remarkable effort. Much more will be heard about this outstanding trainer.