Caption: Veteran Northern NSW trainer/breeder John Dart
Breeding Column By DAVID BRASCH
JOHN Dart has been making things happen in greyhound racing right throughout his long career with lead and collar.
He likes to win … doesn’t everyone.
But, what is not so obvious is that John Dart has played a major part in getting started two of the greatest bloodlines this country has seen.
The first stems back to when he was an 18-year-old in Grafton just starting out as a trainer.
“It was a July carnival and Bob McDonald from Lidcombe in Sydney was up with a team of dogs,” said John. “One was called Star Monarch. He was Takiri-Wanderook.
“He won a maiden during the carnival in 29 seconds when to be a chance in the big maiden you had to break 28 seconds. Bob gave him to me.”
Star Monarch, according to John, was ‘terrified’. But, he got him going so well Star Monarch won 25 races at Grafton, Casino, Lismore, Kempsey and the Gabba, the latter by 15 lengths.
“He won from 400 yards to 740 yards, and could even give away handicaps of 15 yards at Grafton,” said John. “He won the Clarence River Distance Championship.
“But, he would come out of the boxes and wait for every other dog to go past him until he would take off. He took on Air Jewel, a 400 yard and 700 yard track record holder for Hec and Leah Watt, and picked her up easily by 400 yards before she got away.
“I told my old man (Noel) I would win a 400 yard with him and did a couple of months later beating a top grade field when he was fresh. He thought I was mad. I backed him from 10-1 to 5-2.”
Such was the success of Star Monarch that his previous owner, Bob McDonald, approached Darty about sending a bitch up to Grafton to be mated to him. It was Starenda (Mister Moss-Brenda’s View) and she was from the famous, famous Brenda Gay damline … the same as Temlee, the same as Gail’s Beauty.
“Bob said he would send me a pup for the mating,” said John. “A few months later the train arrived with four pups. Starenda had 10 in the litter and bob lived on a house block at Lidcombe and couldn’t keep them.
“I kept a dog and my brother Gary got the three bitches. He reared them all and from those three came Tardy Star.”
She would become a broodbitch goldmine.
“Eventually Gary moved to Bundaberg, took Star Monarch and Tardy Star with him and they ended up with Ray Elliott,” said John. Tardy Star would become the dam of the legend producer Tardy Angel.
Her offspring included such greats as Bundy Cane, Bundy Cola, Tardy Tears, Miner’s Arms, Angel Tears, Ebony Tears, Fast Devil, Heidane, Heidi’s Hero, I’m An Angel, Derby winner Pretty Tardy, Queen’s Ace, Tardy Flyer, Tiger Tears.
It was a dominant a damline as seen throughout the country.
Tardy Angel’s daughters produced superstars as well, G1 Nat Futurity winner Tar Dinn coming from her, and in Tassie such greats as Top Innings, Rewind, Rumbling Rick, Miss Roman Nose, Clyde’s Angel.
Even today, the line continues. Recent stars like Isurava, Cobblepot, Carton Of Bear, Dawny Dream, Eagles Nest Egg etc.
Much later though, John Dart struck up a friendship with Sydney solicitor and greyhound fanatic Chris Yong.
Chris had been desperate to get into greyhound racing and asked John to train some dogs for him.
It was the mid-1990s when Chris got himself an unraced bitch he named Subjective (New Tears-Glenross Girl).
“She was 22 kilos and I’m pretty certain she did not race,” said John. “But, her mother Glenross Girl was a sister to Tenthill Flyer the dam of Flying Amy and Tenthill Doll.”
Subjective had litters to Credibility, Just The Best, Malawi’s Prince and Token Prince. Another dynasty was born.
Among them was a bitch called Pretty Wagtail from her classy Token Prince litter. She was saturated with the Bay Road Queen damline.
“I actually bought Pretty Wagtail for $1400 and won six races with her,” said John. “But, I sold her to Bruce Cooper in Sydney and she became a broodbitch great.”
Initially such stars as Vee Man Vane, Miss Bekkie Lee, Magenta Rose, Powerful Lee, Inspire Me came from Subjective’s immediate offspring and her daughters.
“Steve Williams got a bitch from the damline and started a breeding dynasty of his own with Velocity Cloud,” said John.
Also from the line came River Seine the Bundaberg Oaks winner whose daughter Lilly Sur Seine produced superstars Sequana and Stinger Noir, and whose sister Inspired Hope is the dam of current Queensland great Magistrate.
But, another branch of the damline came through Captivating and Jubilation and includes legends like Black Opium, Equalizer, Flynn, Invictus Rising, Velocity Bettina etc.
“It’s easy to look back now and see what we all had a part in developing,” said John.
“But, at the time we had no realisation it was so great.”
Chris Yong drifted out of greyhound racing. His son Jeremy is a major guitarist, singer-song writer.
“I trained for Chris for 10 years and only ever met him once,” said John. “I still keep in touch with him quite often.”
