Trainer Kel Greenough, left, and wife Jackie with Cindeen By Ben Hope
AFTER 20 years in the sport, Pearcedale trainers Kelvyn and Jackie Greenough have earned the prestigious Greyhound of the Year Award.
The couple were awarded the top honours for Cindeen Shelby at Victorian Greyhound Racing’s night of night at Crown Palladium on Friday night.
The award was a career highlight for Kelvyn Greenough, who has trained Cindeen Shelby for the past 12 months.
“The prizes are insignificant compared with the recognition of winning the award. It’s like winning the Brownlow Medal; you just get a little medal. It’s not so much the medal as the fact that you have won the award,” Greenough said.
“You don’t set out to win an award like this, you set out to win races. As the races get bigger so do the accolades.”
And Cindeen Shelby has certainly earned her share of racing accolades with an impressive 2009 season that included 13 wins from 22 starts and total earnings exceeding $380,000.
Owned by New South Wales’ Raymond Parkinson, Cindeen Shelby has been a dream come true for her breeder Deen Parkinson.
“Every greyhound breeder dreams of breeding a Group race winner, but in reality you’re satisfied if you breed a city winner. Cindeen Shelby has made my dreams come true,” Parkinson said.
In the past year Cindeen Shelby won the group one Paws of Thunder at Wentworth Park, the group one Topgun (525m) at the Meadows, the group one Sapphire Crown Classic (515m) at Sandown Park and the group two Black Top (515m) at The Gardens.
When asked about how he got in to the sport, Greenough admits there was a “touch of insanity,” but admits he was introduced to greyhounds at an early age
“In the days gone by, a lot of people had a greyhound in the back yard and we happened to be a family that had a greyhound,” he said.
“I came in touch with them at an early age and when I was old enough I got my own. I like the animal, and went from there.”
Unfortunately for Cindeen Shelby the award hasn’t resulted in extra rations.
“We have to be careful of her putting on weight, she might have had an extra pat on the head but that’s about it,” Greenough said.
Some 18 greyhounds were nominated for the prestigious award, now in its 36th year, before a panel of greyhound industry experts narrowed it down to the three outstanding finalists, including fellow Pearcedale trainer and last year’s winner Jason Thompson.
