I’VE been going greyhound racing since I was five, so I suppose I have some credentials to give newcomers, or anyone at all, wanting to get into the wonderful world of greyhound racing some advice on doing just that.

It is a love affair that has consumed my family and we have a great and successful history in the sport.

Mum and Dad took my brother and me to Dapto way back when we were just youngsters.

Who would have predicted back in 2016 when greyhound racing, especially in NSW, was in the midst of crisis that here we would be with the industry boasting prizemoney levels previously unheard of.

And, with a new home base already underway at Purga, near Ipswich, to host a state-of-the-art, stand-alone racing complex for Queensland.

But that is the success of greyhound racing in today’s world.

So, down to some advice.

It would be my first recommendation to start off with a well-bred young pup as the best entry level for newcomers to greyhound racing.

Yes, by all means look to a tried dog if that is the way you want to go, but unless you have a bank of $50,000 to $100,000 your chances of buying a high-quality city performer or even Group performer will be VERY limited.

Really well-bred pups can be bought for $5000 or $6000.

From that moment, it needs to then be reared by the best, educated by the best, and go to a leading trainer.

Personally, my pups are reared by Tony Apap, Brad Northfield or Mick and Tracie Hindmarsh … all within the range of me going to their properties to see them from time to time.

If newcomers go down the path of buying a pup, they have the chance of buying a dog that could become a champion like Fernando Bale, or of course a dog lucky to be able to win a maiden at Capalaba.

That is the truth of becoming involved in a sport that has no guarantees.

But, by buying a well-bred pup, you are giving yourself a chance of achieving success.

I have always felt there are five aspects to success in this industry and I tell that to anyone thinking of getting into the industry.

One is buy that well-bred pup, two is get it well reared, three is get it well broken in, four is get it well trained.

Number five is something we have no control over at all and that is hoping for a bit of good luck with your purchase.

Newcomers, unlike we oldies, will struggle with greyhound bloodlines. I’ve been looking at bloodlines since I was a kid and the overwhelming fact is, the best produce the best. It is not a coincidence that names like Pretty Short (a freak race dog), Waverly Supreme, Brother Fox, Malawi’s Prince and of course Temlee keep popping up all the time.

Some bloodlines stand the test of time.

Those old timers like Jimmy Madigan and now Frank Hancock, and of course the Northfields, have known this for decades. Tried-and-true bloodlines consistently work.

As in so many things in life, if you maximise your chances, put the odds in your favour, then that’s a huge start when getting involved in this industry.

Look at the Wheelers and Hallinans of this world. They are so successful because they take a lot of the guesswork out of everything they do.

Dogs like Fernando Bale are not a fluke. He was developed over years and years of honing successful bloodlines. Wheelers and Hallinans do everything right and always do.

So, I tell newcomers to seek some advice about everything you do when getting started.

By all means head to a racetrack and head straight up to one of the best trainers about. You will be surprised how approachable they are and how quick they will be to hand out advice.

Personally, my family has a bitch we bought from Dennis Barnes called Nangar Candy and she is beautifully bred from Dennis’s famous bloodlines and she has won 13 races.

We will be involved in her breeding career when she retires.

It was suggested to me that newcomers make mistakes and that is only natural. But in greyhound racing as in everything, learn from mistakes.

It all comes back to giving yourself a chance. You must NEVER take shortcuts.

There is so much prizemoney about that by spending say $10,000 to buy a pup and get it to the racetrack, if you are lucky and get a city-class dog, it could very easily earn you $100,000.

How often do we hear stories about flukes happening in racing, all codes. It’s the glamour of the racing industry, but for every one of those flukes there are thousands of stories that did not turn out as good.

If you can only afford $2000 for a pup purchase, go and get a few mates together to bring that up to $6000 and maybe even more.

It’s better to have 20 per cent of a dog that wins at Wentworth Park, than 100 per cent of a dog that cannot win at Moree … with all due respect to racing at Moree.

Greyhound racing has never been so good, has never been so well run, and prizemoney has never been better.

Even country racing provides a great return.

The sport has come so far especially in the last decade, so invest in a good dog … it’s worth it.