Caption: Cameron and Yvonne Butcher with Worm Burner after winning the 2016 National Sprint Championship at Angle Park.

By LUKE MARCHIORO

While South Australia has produced many champion greyhounds over its rich racing history, the name Worm Burner never fails to bring a smile to the face of the locals.

SA’s last National Sprint Championship winner, Worm Burner, set Angle Park alight in 2016 producing the run of a lifetime from box six and giving trainer Cameron Butcher and wife Yvonne the ultimate thrill.

Drawn in box six in a high-quality field featuring names such as Fabregal, Zambora Brockie and Benteke, Worm Burner speared to the front and was never troubled in running a blistering 29.17 thrilling the strong local crowd.

“There was a lot of people there that night,” Yvonne said.

“I remember being very nervous and there were people who I didn’t know very well saying I think Worm Burner’s going to win and it was all quite exciting and then when he did win everyone went wild and it was quite a time.”

A notoriously slow beginner and renowned for his strong finish home, Worm  Burner thrilled the home crowd by firing to the early lead with a 4.37 first split, which he had never accomplished previously in his career.

“It was such a thrill watching him jump like that because he never really did that,” Cameron said.

“It was a real delight when you saw him run because he was never out in front very much, but he would work his way around and he was a very strong finishing dog, but of course on the night of the Nationals he happened to jump and that was it, he was gone.”

The Group 1 success was the highlight of Worm Burner’s 84-start career with the star chaser racking up 48 wins and 20 placings, but he had humble beginnings on the couple’s farm in Meningie.

Bred by close friend Alan McCulloch, Worm Burner or ‘Diamond’ as he is affectionately known, was the only dog in the five-greyhound litter, but the Butchers knew quickly the chaser was something special.

“There was only one dog in the litter and because we had first choice, we ended up with Diamond (Worm Burner) and Sapphire, who raced as She’s A Looper and was a good chaser as well,” Yvonne said.

“We brought him and started to rear him up and we trained him and Cameron used to come home and say he has got something.

“He (Cameron) used to call him the worm ‘cause he would just wriggle and worm around everywhere, but he always showed an interest in chasing.”

While the Aussie Rules phrasing was seemingly obvious, it was this early ability and his wriggly nature which saw the Butchers come up with iconic name Worm Burner.

“I decided to call him Worm Burner because he would just burn along the ground and that’s really how it came to be.”

The Nationals night in 2016 was a special night for the Oaks Road x Little Looper litter bred by McCulloch with sister Springvale Bryne finishing third in the National Distance Final for trainer Gavin Harris.

With strong bloodlines of his own, it was no surprise that Worm Burner has gone onto a successful stud career, producing some brilliant greyhounds including Group 1 winner Sir Truculent and local stars Mallee Magic and Coorong Lucy.

“You never know what they are going to produce, but he did produce quite a few stars,” Yvonne said.

“We have his daughter Coorong Lucy, who we have and now she has produced her own litters and the line continues on.”

The Butchers nearly went back-to-back at the Nationals with On Fire running a gallant second behind local hero Jury at Albion Park in 2017.

“He was a lovely quiet dog, you never used to hear much from him,” Cameron said.

“He had a really big bump that may have taken the edge off him a bit, but it was a still a big run to finish second and that was another great night too.”

While they are training less greyhounds than in previous years, the Butchers are still regulars at Angle Park and appreciative of their time spent in greyhound racing.

“You become friends and, in some ways, you become a little bit of a family,” Yvonne said.

“We still meet up at the track with the people we know and it’s been important in our lives for many years and we very much enjoy it.”