Caption: Long-time owner-breeders Vince Mackenzie-Ross, left, and Donna Darcy, with trainer Greg Stella and his wife Michelle at the recent Queensland Greyhound of the Year Awards in Brisbane. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)

By Pat McLeod

Long-time owner-breeder Donna Darcy fears one of Our Opals ‘kinks’ is likely to bring him unstuck in Thursday night’s TAB Easter Trophy Final (520m) at Albion Park.

Although just as quick as his more celebrated litter brother Magistrate, Darcy says the wide alley (Box 8), is a major hurdle.

“Our Opals is as quick as Magistrate, but it is just that he has his kinks,” she explains.

“He loves the ‘cherry’ (Box 1), but he doesn’t like the ‘strawberry’ (Box 8). And, of course, this Thursday night he is coming out of the eight.

“Over his career to date (42 starts for 18 wins and 13 placings), if he is coming out of a box between one and four, you can usually say that he is going to run all right, but anything else, well, let’s just say he has his kinks.

“Obviously anything can happen on Thursday night, but I would be far more confident if he was on the inside.”

Darcy and partner Vince Mackenzie-Ross have been breeding greyhounds across four decades and have raced many with prominent Brisbane trainer Greg Stella.

Although they have tasted success across those years, Darcy says the current Fernando Bale x Inspired Hope litter was by far the best.

“Of all the time that we have been breeding, the tide has certainly turned for us over the past 12 months,” she said.

“This litter is outstanding.”

The nine pups whelped in January, 2021, have to date accumulated $680,740 in prizemoney.

Darcy and Mackenzie-Ross retained ownership in four of those – Magistrate ($393,045 in prizemoney), Our Opals ($61,435), Journalist ($41,605) and Notification ($19,810).

Another star from the litter is the Col Graham-trained Seven Sinners – 37 starts, for 20 wins, nine placings and $110,165 in prizemoney.

Although Our Opals may not be the highest achiever out of his brothers and sisters, he does hold a very special place in Darcy’s heart.

“That dog is special because the word ‘Opal’ is made up of the first letter of each of our four grandchildren – Oscar, Poppy, Archie and Lily – who are aged between four and nine,” she said.

“That is all of our grandchildren and they are our opals.”

In recent years Darcy and Mackenzie-Ross have moved from Brisbane to retirement in northern NSW, at Ballina.

They don’t make it to the track very often these days, but were at Albion Park last Thursday night to see Our Opals win in the fastest of the four heat times, 29.83.

“It is always great to be at the track to watch our dogs race,” she said.

“However, this Thursday night we will be back in Ballina and watching on TV.”

Last week, they were ‘in town’ for the annual Queensland greyhound awards, with Magistrate a finalist for the Greyhound of the Year gong.

That award may have gone to sprint sensation Jay Is Jay, however that didn’t lessen the admiration Darcy has for her ‘best ever’ dog and trainer Greg Stella.

“Of all the dogs we have bred, Magistrate, is the best and a beautiful dog around the kennels as well,” she said.

“And I can’t speak highly enough of Greg – a great and knowledgeable trainer and such a humble, fantastic person.”