By David Brasch

CASINO veteran Mark Wilkes is as astute a dog man as there is.

Mark likes to fly under the radar, but during decades in the greyhound industry he has certainly never been without a quality race dog.

His latest, Painted Picture, was just that winning 27 races and $110,000 winning the Eric Thomson, Grafton Sprinters Cup, Albion Park Xmas Stocking, and being placed in the G3 Casino Cup and a Young Guns, while also being a finalist in a Qld Derby and Ipswich Cup.

During Mark’s down time at home in Casino, he likes to potter about with pedigrees and can also come up with a formula for success when buying pups.

Recently, he had some time to ponder the price of puppies and from those thoughts came what he believes is an ideal way to price a pup.

Here it is:

Using a starting point of 25% of the sire’s stud fee as a base figure. For example use Barcia Bale fee $7700 … 25% = $1925.

That would be the starting point for a Barcia Bale pup.

Then if the broodbitch has any of the following add that % of the stud fee to the base figure

Has the bitch won more than 5 races … add 5%

Has the bitch won beyond 457m or 500 yards … add 5%

Does the bitch weigh more than 27kgs … add 5%

Is the mating between bitch and sire a proven cross … add 10%

Is the bitch from a proven damline of city/Group producing winners … add 10%

Is the bitch a proven producer of city/Group winners … add 25%

Is the bitch a city class winning bitch … add 25%

Add another 10% if she has raced in Group or feature races

If the bitch has won a Group race add 50% plus an extra 20% for Group 1 and an extra 10% for Group 2

If the bitch has won more than one Group race add another 100%

Now for an example

A bitch has won 15 races, six in the city, has made a Group final, weighs 28kgs, this is her first mating and is from a proven damline.

The mating is a proven cross.

What are the pups worth using this formula?

Starting with 25% of the stud fee – $1925; won more than five races – $385; won beyond 457m – $385; weighs more than 27kgs – $385; proven cross – $770; proven damline – $770; city winner and raced in a Group final – $2695.

On this formula a Barcia Bale litter out of such a bitch are worth about $7315.

Says Mark: “I just thought there has to a way to come up with a pup’s worth seeing the prices some breeders are asking at the moment”.

Not to be denied by his first ‘formula’, Mark went back to the drawing board and came up with a points score system again aimed at reasoning a price for pups.

“This version is based on a points system where each point is worth $350 and includes points for the sire,” he said.

Proven sire 2pts, plus another 2pts if sired a city winner, plus another 2pts if sired a Group winner (i.e. Barcia Bale 6pts).

Has the bitch won more than 5 races – 1pt;

Has the bitch won beyond 457m or 500yds – 1pt;

Does the bitch weigh more than 27kgs – 1pt;

Is the mating a proven cross – 2pts;

Is the bitch from a proven dam line of producing city/Group winners – 2pts;

Is the bitch a proven producer of city/Group winners – 5pts;

Is the bitch a city winning bitch – 5pts, an extra 2pts for making a feature or Group final;

If the bitch has won a feature final – 5pts;

If the bitch has won a Group race – 10pts, plus an extra 2pts for a Group 2 and an extra 4pts for a Group 1;

If the bitch has won more than one Group race – add another 10pts.

This example of the bitch winning 15 races including six in the city came to 20pts … or around $7000.