Love Of Racing: Team Raines A Real Family Affair

Kylie Raines and her partner William are prime advertisements that you don't need to be winning group races and scooping millions in prize money to derive all the thrills and excitement greyhound racing has to offer.

For the past two decades Raines has been quietly going about her business while enjoying steady success, the intoxicating allure of greyhound firmly taking hold.

"William and I first met at Bundaberg greyhound track so we shared that common interest right from the start," Raines said.

"My family have always been heavily involved in greyhounds at Bundaberg and William and his father raced greyhounds at Rockhampton so the sport has always been in our blood.

"We absolutely love it and the dogs are like part of the family. It's great to win of course but for us the main thing is that the greyhounds are happy and healthy.

"That's always number one."

Four years ago Kylie and William made the big move from Rockhampton to Redbank Plains on the outskirts of Ipswich around the time their middle daughter Pyper was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

"That's one of the main reasons we relocated – so we were closer to the medical specialists we needed for Pyper," Raines said.

"She's 12 now and has been through a lot. Two lots of brain surgery and plenty of chemo but touchwood she's in a good place now."

In 18 months when she turns 14, Pyper will be eligible for her attendants' licence and according to Raines is counting down the days.

"Her older sister Logan turned 14 in April and has already handled her first winner which was very exciting," Raines said.

"We've got the three girls – Logan (14), Pyper (12) and Willow who's seven months old.

"Logan and Pyper live and breathe everything with the dogs at home so it seems the family tradition of greyhounds isn't going to slow down any time soon.

"There's times during the day when Logan's at school that I'll get a text message from her at lunchtime to say what race and box we've drawn.

"She's definitely got the bug."

Since moving to Redbank Plains, Raines has made a bit of an artform of picking up more than her share of races, particularly at Capalaba where she boasts a winning strike-rate upwards of 25 per cent.

"We never really paid any attention to that until someone mentioned it to me earlier in the year," Raines said.

"We don't get the best dogs going around so it's really important that the ones we have we place right to give them every chance. And we don't race unless we're entirely sure they're right to go either."

With William working full-time, Raines juggles raising three daughters with the training of greyhounds.

"We've got kennels for four greyhounds at any one time and that's more than enough," Raines said.

"But the girls are a big help. If I can't find them around the house I can almost guarantee you that they are out with the dogs.

"Even when we haven't got dogs in I've got them nagging me to go to the races."

With the kennel taking a bit of reshape at present Raines is excited about the future prospects of Aston Dee Bee chaser Macleay which secured back-to-back Capalaba wins in July.

"He's got a few injuries we are working through at the moment," Raines said.

"He started off in New South Wales and one day I got a call out of the blue from his owner (Racenet journalist) Clinton Payne asking if we wanted to have a go with him.

"It was great to win a couple of races early on when people put that trust in you and that's what it's all about for us.

"We do what we do because we love the dogs. Anything else that comes really is a bonus.

"Down the track when the girls are grown up the dream is to probably get a property and expand.

"But with the interest Logan and Pyper are showing by then William and I will likely be sitting at home and the girls will be taking over.

"And that's just fine by me!"