Thayne Green. Photo / Supplied
By Peter Fenemor
Where does one start to summarise a hugely successful greyhound training career that spans 47 years? Then add in numerous years of administration, plus also a massively profitable foray into thoroughbred racing.
This Sunday at Manukau Stadium, Thayne Athol Green will hang up his collars and leads and hand in his greyhound trainer’s licence – a licence he has held continuously since 1976.
Obviously, a huge number of quality greyhounds benefited from the guidance they received from Green.
“I certainly would like to carry on (training), however it’s time to call it quits at this stage of my life,” reflected the 81-year-old.
Let’s go back to the early 1970s, when Green first became involved in greyhound racing.
“As a family, we went up to Kumeu on Sundays. It was at an Auckland Cup meeting when I decided to get involved as an owner and I had struck up a rapore with Irene Close, who was a leading trainer back in era.”
It was the classy greyhound Brother Bee, trained by Close for Green who set him along his training path as he recalls.
“In 1976, Brother Bee qualified to represent New Zealand in the New South Wales St Leger (Sydney). I received a $25,000 offer for him, which was massive money back then, from a local syndicate over there to buy the dog. I said no, as I wanted Brother Bee to represent New Zealand.
“They came back to me on the eve of the semifinal offering the same, but also saying I could retain 25 percent ownership in him, which I accepted and they gave me a cheque right then.
“Brother Bee won his semifinal, going away from his rivals by seven lengths, but he injured a toe in doing so, meaning he was out of the final. I offered them their cheque back to them, but they said no, they still wanted Brother Bee.
“That cheque enabled me to buy the Airfield Road (Takanini) property, which set up my training establishment.”
Green developed the property to such an extent that aside from a drag strip, he also built a two-turn trial tack.
“Austin Lucas had a trial track in Takanini, and when he died, we bought all the gear and installed it at my place.”
Trialing was frenetic in those days.
“We decided to open up the track to trainers, as there were limited trailing facilities then. At times, we would trial 25 to 30 dogs a day.”
The Auckland GRC was still racing at their Kumeu venue. However, when on-course tote betting licences were issued to the code, the Club moved their major racing operations to Mt Smart Stadium.
“Those were great days – very sociable with big crowds attending. We use to run up to 40 to 50 quick-fire sweepstake races on Friday nights then. We still raced Sundays at Kumeu – those were great picnic days where we had plenty of fun,” he remembers.
Green enjoyed a fair degree of racing success in those days, however his biggest win then came as an owner when Close prepared Go You Halves to win the 1979 edition of the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar, in those days raced over the gruelling 832m.
When the Auckland GRC vacated Mt Smart in 1984, the Club relocated to the one-turn Claudelands Raceway track in Hamilton, where Green enjoyed his biggest success as a trainer by mentoring the high class staying sisters Steiny Blue (1988) and Bridie Girl (1989) to their respective Silver Collar victories over 753m.
Greens rates Steiny Blue as the best greyhound he mentored.
“She was an iron dog who took everything you threw at her. She simply stayed all day.
“The lure broke down going into the first turn during her Silver Collar final. I thought they would abandon the race, but no, they decided to rerun it straight away. That played right into Steiny Blue’s paws, as the initial run only served to warm her up.
Green trekked throughout the country with Steiny Blue, on some occasions racing her in staying events on both islands within the same week.
“She was one hell of a tough girl and she was a standout achiever,” reflected Green about the stayer who raced 93 times (65 staying races) for 37 wins, 24 minors and $32,801 in stake earnings.
Travelling was a huge factor back in those days for Green and a number of other trainers. He was often sighted racing a team at Hutt Park (Wellington).
“Yes, they were long, but very enjoyable trips. We use to stay with Joe and Julie Tapiki in Lower Hutt back them. Some of the trips back home were pretty tough going,” he chuckled.
When the Auckland GRC moved to their current Manukau Stadium venue in 1989, it was Green, who was heavily involved in developing the venue, who appropriately trained the first race winner there when the sprinter Te Oro Poto prevailed for his mate Joe Tapiki.
Green continued to churn out multiple winners over the ensuring years, which included Monalty winning the 1992 Auckland Cup and then, more recently, Golden Fern taking out the honours in the 2022 Railway Sprint.
He also hosted numerous visiting trainers, including John “Pop” Wilson when he mentored the great Misty Anna and his litter brother Charlie Did.
“One trip, John said to me can you train Charlie Did, which I did, and he turned into a very handy greyhound.”
Green also accommodated leading Victorian conditioner Robbie Britton who made a fleeting visit with his grand stayer Nellie Noodles to take on the top stayer Swift Fantasy in the $20,000 four-dog winner-take-all 779m match race at Manukau in 2010.
And remaining on the staying theme, he also provided his facilities to another Victorian trainer Gerry O’Keeffe when he trained Ring The Bell to the first of his two Silver Collar victories in 2017.
Green exploded into the thoroughbred code, being involved in the ownership of the champion racemare Sunline, who was mentored throughout her incredible racing career by Green’s mate, the late Trevor McKee, and his son Stephen.
But firstly, it was with another McKee-trained horse, Interval, who kick-started his thoroughbred racing interests, as he recalls.
“It was when I was working on the Avondale JC Steering Committee, when a mate Barry Lusty said Trevor has a horse that we should buy into. That horse was Interval, who we enjoyed great success with before selling him to Singapore.
“That set us up to get involved in Sunline, which turned into one hell of ride. We travelled thousands of miles to watch her race with numerous trips to Australia, plus also to Hong Kong and Dubai. That was just magic and it was a ride of a lifetime!” he said about the mare, who was described by a Hong Kong commentator as the ‘Mare of the World’ winning 32 of her 48 races and a phenomenal $14,110,012 in stake earnings.
Green also revealed a little known fact about the great mare that he is really proud off.
“Sunline was never, ever scratched from a race. That was a massive achievement considering the number of Group races she raced in, along with all of her international travel. That was a testimony Trevor’s tremendous skills.”
He also raced a number of harness horses, mostly trained by Pukekohe trainer Peter Blanchard.
“I raced around 10 horses with Peter and they all won races,” he said.
Thayne Green – the Administrator
Thayne Green spent 25 years as the greyhound representative on the New Zealand Racing Authority Board (as it was known in those days), which was a position that required being ratified by the various Ministers of Racing over that period.
It was Thayne Green who was instrumental and who oversaw the introduction of full TAB betting for the greyhound code which occurred in 1981 with the inaugural TAB meetings being held on the QE II (Christchurch), Hutt Park (Wellington) and Mt Smart Stadium (Auckland) tracks featuring a Trans-Tasman series.
“The Chairman of the Racing Board back then was Jack Bennett and he hugely supported greyhound racing receiving full TAB access. I believe getting TAB licences was the biggest achievement for the code,” stated Green.
Greyhound racing was required to race with another code during those initial TAB years. However, again, it the Green who cleared the way for the Auckland Club to stage the first ever standalone greyhound meeting at the Claudelands Showgrounds in Hamilton.
Former GRNZ Chairman and Hall of Fame member, the late Sam Fletcher, wrote in his book From Drag Hare Paddock to Bramich Hare Stadium:
“Thayne was the right man in the right place on the Racing Authority and the TAB at the right time and his sense of timing in critical negotiations and agreements hammered out with a majority opposition from the equine ranks was truly impressive. Thayne’s business abilities soon won him the trust of the equine codes.”
When Manukau Stadium opened, Green, who had over the years run some leading Auckland restaurants, managed the catering side of the Club’s operation.
And until last year, he was the Club’s back-up lure driver for many years. He laughed when he said, “You can call me the world’s oldest greyhound lure driver!”
Anyone who joined Thayne Green trackside would have only ever seen a glass of Bacardi and coke in front of him.
“It’s the only drink I have – maybe I’ll have one beer a year. I guess I would own a fair portion of the Bacardi manufactoring plant,” he chuckled.
Thayne Green credits his wife Dorothy for his success in both racing and in administration.
“I couldn’t have achieved what I did without Dorothy’s continual unwavering support.”
Green also greatly treasures the numerous honours he has been afforded, saying, “Being inducted into the GRNZ Hall Of Fame was an absolute highlight for me, while I consider being made a life member of Greyhound Racing NZ, the Auckland GRC and the Avondale JC a real privilege.”
Green trained two winners during last Sunday’s Manukau meeting and he is looking at going out as a winning trainer, having accepted with seven greyhounds.
“I would like to go out with a winner,” he stated.
“It’s been one hell of a ride over the years and I don’t regret one moment of it – now is the right time for me to leave the sport.”