Kris Gives Robinson First City Winner

HARTLEY Kris, who gave trainer Trevor Robinson his first Wentworth Park winner yesterday week, was originally a racetrack failure who was consigned to the adoption program.

But the dog's breeder Paul Ashworth disclosed at WP that Hartley Kris had even failed to make the grade as an adoption dog.
“I bred Hartley Kris from my bitch Girl Crush, who won over 400m at Richmond in 22.64 and over 280m at WP in 16.15, but she dropped a back muscle and had to be retired prematurely before she could be given a 520m preparation.
“But until Trevor got him, Hartley Kris had proved virtually useless on the racetrack, so I put the dog into the adoption program.
“However he was rejected from that because he was declared to be ‘too anxious' whatever that means.
“So Hartley Kris was given to Trevor to own and train in a desperate bid to see the dog's career revived.
“Trevor has done a phenomenal job with Hartley Kris, who also defeated several city class greyhounds to win the Chris Mooney Tribute final at Bathurst on June 11.”
Paul Ashworth's father Chris, who raced the 1981 WP Young Star Classic winner Extra Kinky, added: “I can't believe how well Trevor Robinson has Hartley Kris going and if I get back into the sport as an owner he will be my trainer of choice.”
At WP yesterday week Hartley Kris trailed tearaway leader Bogan Bomber to the home turn before charging down the outside to win by a half head in a handy 30.26sec.
Robinson almost landed a double as Hartley Kris' litter brother Night Code, also a racetrack flop until joining the Hartley-based trainer's kennels, finished third to Nerve Lika Thief and Bogan Villa in the following 520m race.
Trevor Robinson is a former nurse who became involved with greyhounds due to his kindness towards animals.
“Back in 1980 I was driving to work at Walgett Hospital when I noticed a greyhound on the side of the road,” Robinson recalled.
“To be honest I was a bit frightened of greyhounds but I knew I had to pick her up or she might have been hit by a car.
“When I got her into my vehicle she started to lick my face and I decided then and there I wanted to keep her.
“But after I contacted her owner he said he wanted to keep her for breeding, but as a thank you to me for finding and looking after his bitch, he offered to present me with one of her siblings as a gift.
“I started training that dog and at his third start for me he won a race at Lithgow and I've had greyhounds ever since.
“Until Hartley Kris came along, the best greyhound I have trained was Dawn Service, who was a prolific winner at Penrith but always seemed to find a way to get beaten at Wentworth Park.
“So it was a huge thrill to win with Hartley Kris.”
Hartley Kris and Night Code did well because neither greyhound had previously seen WP.
“I did not bring them to town for a trial because they handle Bathurst, Lithgow and Richmond well, so all tracks come alike to them,” Robinson said at WP.