Caption: Fiona Ransley and Bill McNally after True Magna’s win in the 1998 Tasmanian Gold Cup

By Brennan Ryan

Bill and Penny McNally have loved Tasmania ever since they started racing dogs on the Apple Isle.

Their first major success in Tassie was with True Magna, known affectionately to Bill and Penny as Shirley, who claimed the time-honoured Tasmanian Gold Cup Final back in 1998.

Those fond memories will be a vivid as ever when the great race celebrates its 53^rd anniversary later this year.

Heats of the Gold Cup will be run on  October 27 with the final on November 3.

Shirley claimed the 1998 edition of the Tasmanian Gold Cup Final run at the former Royal Hobart Showgrounds track, beating the likes of Columbian Blue and Level County.

“Shirley was a tremendous chaser, winning the Tasmanian Gold Gup all those years ago was wonderful for myself and Penny, it was all part of a great period for us,” Bill McNally said

Bill started out training his first greyhound Weymar Lass at Cheltenham. She came from Cesare Costa and gave the couple their first winner in a maiden at Ballarat in 1986.

A month later she won at Sandown Park, giving the McNallys their first ever city winner.

Their success in racing is thanks to their brood matron Affidavit.

Whelped in 1988 by Penny, Affidavit was successful on the racetrack, winning 15 races, though her best abilities would in the litters she eventually produced.

Bill and Penny shared all the glory that came from her offspring through her five litters.

The first litter to Chariot Supreme produced plenty of success, the best being Bahama Blue

Bahama Blue, winner of 10 races, contested the 1993 Australian Cup Final as the youngest dog in the field against China Trip, who recorded a historic second victory in the series.

It was a great start for the McNallys as Bahama Blue’s litter were stars of the track in the 1990s.

Affadale (2 wins), Callico Fawn (11 wins), Couvade (5 wins), Magnacarter (13 wins) and Shining David (7 wins) certainly put the then Epsom-based training couple on the map.

True Magna was a daughter of Magnacarter by the outstanding former sire True Type.

“True Magna didn’t start off anything flash in the beginning and Rodney Ransley over in Tassie suggested we send her over to him as the bigger tracks would suit her,” Bill said.

At her sixth career start Shirley broke her maiden with Rod at Hobart in February 1998.

From there the fawn sprinter, tipping the scales at 30 kilograms, took a great liking to the Tassie grading and class, winning 14 races under the guidance of Rod and Fiona Ransley.

At one point she put together six straight victories between Hobart and Launceston.

1998 was a golden era of top performers in Tasmania and True Magna took on the very best at Hobart, claiming features such as the Damsels Dash, Young Stars Classic and Gold Cup.

True Magna raced in Tasmania and Victoria, winning 16 races from 62 starts.

“Chris Johannsen recommended Rod Ransley to us a few years prior, as we were trying to place a dog somewhere, since then we’ve been great friends with Rod and Fiona,” Bill said.

Winning the prestigious Tasmanian Gold Cup was the first time Bill had ever visited Tassie.

“I remember the night quite well. I really liked the showgrounds track – it was certainly a big spacious course and suited our Shirley – and Tasmania has been a great hunting ground for us,” said Bill.

Bill sold True Magna at the end of her career and she ended up overseas. Sadly, she lost her life in a fire at her kennels in England.

 Bill credits the success he’s had in greyhounds solely to his beloved wife Penny who was responsible for the breeding, whelping, rearing, and naming of all the pups they bred.

Victories in such classic events as the Sapphire Crown with Magnacarter, and the Golden Easter Egg and Shepparton Cup with Bahama Image have given the McNallys many great memories.

“Our first dog property was at Pearcedale and we eventually moved to Epsom. Around that time I was working as a paramedic and Penny would take care of the dogs and all the pups,” said Bill.

“I think our success comes down to having a good bitch line to breed and Affidavit provided that. I could have bought dogs or bred with other lines but we stuck by ours.”

Bill and Penny have trained winners all over the country, including a long stint over in Perth.

Their connection to Tasmania grew even further through their then association with Flowerly Gully trainer Mick Louth who entrusted his star chasers Sandhog and Sitka to the McNallys.

The  former mining town of Beaconsfield in Tassie is where Bill and Penny now call home.

After plenty of thought and preparation, Bill and Penny have whelped a small litter of pups by imported sire Superior Product out of Azalea. The pups are now eight months old and showing plenty of promise.

They can only hope that this litter can bring them as much success as  True Magna did.