Caption: Rick and Amanda Anderson with Tricolour Magic after a recent Richmond win. (Photo: Lachlan Naidu)

By Gary Clark

WITH a Master of Education and a brain for business and training, one of the industry’s best-known identities has returned to the sport after a 15-year absence.

Rick Anderson’s name became part of greyhound racing, when he bought an 18-acre property back in 1986 for just $16,000 and turned it into the Richmond Grove track.

When he left school Rick worked as a jeweller in his family shop at Penrith, but it was never going to be long term.

Racing was in the family’s blood as his father Michael was a bookmaker at Harold Park and Richmond, and also raced harness horses.

“In 1974 Dad raced a dog called Tod Omara who won the Channel 10 Cup,” Rick said.

Rick invested in the Richmond property and built a trial track and pool. He also bought a 10-acre property next door to open a re-rehabilitation centre.

The track took off quickly, with numbers at trials reaching 800 dogs a week.

Rick also educated young pups, about 30 a month, and stood the sire of Flying Amy and Tenthill Doll, Tangairn, at stud.

With his new venture in full running and his fitness track on the map as the place to trial, Rick decided to race and train his own dogs, but not before a chance to be part of an overseas greyhound trip.

At the age of 25, Rick went on a greyhound tour overseas with the likes of Ben Howe, Don McMillan and other famous trainers.

Rick remembers his first dog, Early Way.

“I shared the ownership with a mate, Kevin Dalhuntly, and the dog was trained by former race steward, now retired, Roy Maynard,” he said.

The two paid $200 for the dog who won his first race at Nowra by five lengths then he won the final the following week. They sold him after that.

Rick remembers how he created quite a scene in the neighbourhood with the dog.

 “I used to walk him in the street and people started coming out of their homes to see him and wanting to pat the dog of an afternoon.”

When you break in many dogs, attend hundreds of trials and talk to leading trainers, you can’t help but grow your knowledge.

In 2001 Rick decided it was time to start training.

He had a run of top-line chasers that reached Group level.

His best clearly was Bronze Token, who won his first eight starts, broke the 722m record at Richmond twice and finished runner-up in the Sandown Cup.

He also made two Group 1 finals, and Group 2 and Group 3 finals in Victoria.

Another stayer Rick prepared was Frisky Rebel who raced 48 times for eight wins and 25 placings including a third in the Group 2 Sydney Cup.

“I gave Proper Shelby around nine starts and made the Group 1 National Futurity with her. She turned out to produce, Cindeen Shelby after she went to Melbourne.”

Eliza Fire collected 16 wins but in 2007 it all aome to an end.

Rick decided to close the Richmond Grove trial track and turned it into a pet boarding establishment and moved away from the sport but still retained both properties.

In 2011 he decided to leave Richmond and moved north to Foster where he purchased a marina with fishing, house and party boats.

His business mind was in full operation.

“The place was run down with $500,000 of produce and it looked a real promising investment,” Rick explained.

This is when he found his new love in life.

“I used to get a great coffee from the cafe in Foster which was managed by Amanda Durham,” Rick said.

Amanda sold the cafe after three years, Rick did the same with the marina and they headed to Newcastle.

One of Rick’s many talents is being involved with boxing. He works with amateurs and has contacts with the international boxing scene.

Rick’s mother was hit by dementia and he looked after her for 2½ years.

He decided to sell the two Richmond properties for $1 million and settled at Wilberforce not far from where it all started.

In 2021 Rick returned to greyhound racing, with Amanda and daughters, Kristen, 32, and Jacinta 15.

Kristen had owned her first dog, Gee Rumpy, who won seven staying races and a win at Canberra by 35 lengths. He was by Proper Tears out of Rick’s staying bitch, Maria McPherson.

Rick and Amanda bought two cheap dogs to get back into racing – Whitely who has won five races at Bulli and Richmond, and Tricolour Magic who won four of his first 10 starts at Richmond.

Amanda had never been near a greyhound before, but now loves the dogs that are part of her life.

Rick can see many avenues in the sport that should be assessed.

 “Grading is still a big issue and needs to be seriously put into place and re-homing is going to have its problems so that also needs some planning,” he said.

With his business skills and industry success, he has applied for a position on the board of GRNSW.  

His return to greyhound racing could be a massive advantage to the future of racing in NSW.