GRAHAM HOLLAND: Having our first classic finalist in One For Tarbert, who was given to me as a pup en lieu of an unpaid kennel bill was my special moment no.4. It was the 1996 St. Leger Final at Wembley and she led Spring Rose to the third bend before finishing well down the field. She could be a bit kinky, but when she pinged the box, she was top class. She eventually became a great brood for us throwing the likes of Bondhi Storm, Emportio Too, Always Lucky, Cracker and Outlaw Spice Boy.
One For Tarbert (T3) leads Spring Rose (T6), Dinan Rose (T1) and Wise Beauty (T2) in a high quality St.Leger Final – pic Steve Nash
PAT ROSNEY: We had a dog called Breeze Hill in the kennel who was hot favourite for the 
Gymcrack Final but badly needed trap six and drew five. He duly finished last. I also had some doubts about his temperament at kennelling and told the owner that it was a perfect time to sell him.
We advertised him in the Sporting Life for £17,500 and a guy called Pud Reynoldson phoned up and bought him. Much to my surprise, Pud asked if I would continue to train him.
He also said, ‘have you got room for a bitch I bought last night after winning her first race in 28.70 at Waterford?.’ It was good to get another paying dog in the kennel but I had no idea how it would work out.
Her name was Dairyland Sue and at 19 months old she won the Northern Puppy Derby. Pud backed her at £10,000-£1,000. She then went on and won the Monmore Puppy Derby, though he didn’t back her on that occasion. She then came out and won the Select Stakes at 25-1 and Pud had £400 on her.
Pud sadly passed away a few years ago and we miss him dearly. We used to chat most days on the phone, he was a great owner and during our time we enjoyed great success.
Sue was an interesting bitch, the real ‘Greta Garbo’ of the kennel. She just wanted to be left alone. But if any of the dogs started anything, she would finish it. She took no nonsense and would pin them to the ground.
Later on, she threw Taylors Cruise, who was brilliantly handled by Charlie (Lister) and for whom he won the Scottish Derby and a load of other races.
Select Stakes winner DAIRYLAND SUE with trainer Pat Rosney and his partner Julie McCombe – pic Steve Nash
MARK WALLIS: Taking over the training licence from Linda in 2005 was always going to be a difficult task. The woman was a legend in her own right. Thankfully Chris Page recommended that I could continue the contract at Walthamstow, which was a huge boost for my confidence and prestige. But I was kidding no one, even after ten years as Linda’s assistant, there were a lot of people asking ‘Who’s this Mark Wallis?’
The first four or five months weren’t easy. I tried to stamp my own training ideas into the kennel routine and was bringing in plenty of new dogs. We had plenty of winners but in the big finals it just wasn’t happening.
Finally – Fear No One won our first competition the Peterborough Puppy Derby in April. At the time, it was not a major race but very welcome indeed and an important win that gave us confidence
January Tiger was a dog I’d persuaded owner Evan Herbert to buy when I first took over and he gave us a brilliant run in the Derby and was so unlucky when he was eliminated in the semi final stage. He came back to win the consolation final as Westmead Hawk took the plaudits for winning the final.
At halfway through the year though, Charlie Lister seemed to be winning every other big race in sight and it looked as if a top six place was the best we could hope for. I think in July we was around 300 points behind him
Step up Go Commando – another dog I brought in at the start of the year for a reasonably cheap price for Daren Johnson. He produced some stunning trials but struggled to win races in the early part of his career.
The problem was, he was unraced when he arrived and was going straight into open class races against more experienced dogs. But after gaining his initial win at Walthamstow, we sent him to Hall Green for the Gymcrack, which at the time, had major status as the big puppy event of the year and a £10,000 first prize.
Commando was awesome throughout and demolished a top class field to win in a superb 28.02. I was hoarse from screaming him home and was in tears as I went to the podium
Thankfully I gathered myself for the presentation but that was THE moment I had waited for. You clean out a lot of kennels before you get a ‘Cat One’ winner. Well at least I did!
The journey home after you have won such a big race is one of an incredible high and it never gets any less exciting.
Commando’s win seemed to set off an avalanche of big race victories. Fear No One won the Peterborough Derby and then the East Anglian Derby at Yarmouth (just outside my top 10). Ronnies Champion won the Puppy Classic at Nottingham and Bell Legend a remarkable Steel City Cup (I have a great story about that but the Star lawyers would probably go pale if re-told)
Fear Assassin took the Romford Puppy Cup and then most memorably Lethal Rumble won the Grand National. He was owned by Linda herself, what a year!
We ‘did a Westmead Hawk’, to hit the front in December and land my first Trainer of the Year title from Charlie Lister.
To top it all, the most successful greyhound trainer ever was remarkably gracious and was heard to tell a number of greyhound followers, ‘that Mark Wallis is a good lad. He can do a dog’
Praise indeed!
Gymcrack winner GO COMMANDO with trainer Mark Wallis (left) and Pete Vernon – pic Steve Nash
