Perth Cup Night Podcast – Linda Britton
ARG was lucky enough to catch up with leading trainer Linda Britton at Cannington tonight at the Perth Cup.
It's a very interesting interview and we are steered into a potential long price winner later on the program.
Linda Britton Podcast
ARG: We're here on course tonight at Cannington at Perth Cup and Galaxy Night and we've been lucky enough to be joined by the queen of WA Greyhound Racing in Linda Britton. Molly Haines has got a few questions for the listeners.
ARG: Well, Linda, firstly we all know your ties with the Greyhound industry starting with your father Allan and brothers Jeff and Robert also very successful Victorian Trainers, why did you choose to come to WA to build a career here?
LINDA BRITTON: I actually came for a holiday and ended up enjoying WA like a lot of other people do. So I went back home and then in a few months I was back in WA, but I didn't get into dogs straight away I worked in a music store and a gift store and then after a while dad sent a couple of dogs and that was the start of it and it gradually built up to what we have got now.
ARG: So in your very highlighted your career, what is the best part of it in your view?
LINDA BRITTON: Look, we have had lots and lots of highlights. We've been training dogs like Reggemite and Jennev and the dogs like I've got now, and I'm very excited about the team that I've got now. So there has been a lot and I really can't point one out that's probably the major highlight.
ARG: And you have just spoken about Reggemite, just then as one of your – in the past interviews you have spoken about him as one of your favourite greyhounds but a current favourite of yours and everyone around the kennel knows Easy Peasy and his kennel name's Ikey. How did you end up with him and why have you grown to love this greyhound so much?
LINDA BRITTON: I think it's his character. He is just a lovely dog and he will have a home with us for life. He was very, very lucky. I was offered him for sale and then he broke down, dropped a back muscle and Tony Fordy who owned him said, “Well, I can't sell him to you with the back muscles, so would you like to have him and we were actually going to Melbourne that week so we decided to pick him up and bring him home and take a chance with him and he rewarded us so much. He was just a wonderful dog. You have to admire how much he tries and what he did for us.
ARG: So that would be one of your most rewarding things about the greyhound racing industry about being able to bring greyhounds back like that?
LINDA BRITTON: Yes, it certain was with him and yeah any dog you get back from injury and they win a big race, it's very special.
ARG: Now with the Perth Cup you have got four great chances with Zelemar Fever, High Recall, Star Recall and Saving Bundles. Who do you think your best chance out of your four would be?
LINDA BRITTON: I'm really struggling to try and find who I think is the best. I think when the box draw came out, I was a bit horrified and they were boxed inside out. So I'm just hoping like I would like – I'd love Zelemar Fever to win. I think she's probably the dog that deserves to win on her form. But a couple of the young ones like Star Recall and High Recall they can begin, so if they are out there and they begin well you know you've got a chance but I can't really split them.
ARG: And who do you believe the dog to beat is in that race for you?
LINDA BRITTON: I think the dogs in the two and the three Allen Deed and is it –
ARG: Keybow.
LINDA BRITTON: Keybow, yeah. So I think they could be fairly hard to beat. But it is very, very even field so I wouldn't like to pick.
ARG: And you have got the one representative for the Galaxy, how do you think she'll go against the Victorian stayers.
LINDA BRITTON: She really is an honest dog, Reverberate, very, very honest but I think she might struggle a bit. If she can run into a place, she's only missed her check once in all the time we've had her so if she can run into a place I would be thrilled but it is just nice to have her there.
ARG: Do you have anything more you would like ask?
ARG: Yeah, there is a few more questions that have been mailed in from people who want to find out. Basically you have been prominent now for the better part of at least two decades. In that time you would have seen a lot of trainers come and go in this area. Why are you still there?
LINDA BRITTON: I think when you have a few winners it is not hard to stay there. Look, I have been very lucky I have had some great owners and great breeders that have supported us and that's why we are still there.
ARG: So that would be what would set you apart you would think the support of those owners and breeders.
LINDA BRITTON: Definitely if you got the support of people and the support of your staff and it makes life a lot easier.
ARG: Is it fair to say that WA Greyhound Racing, the quality has increased significantly? Like talking years ago you just had to buy a descent 5th Grader from New South Wales and come over and win races and it is definitely not the case anymore.
LINDA BRITTON: Yeah we used to buy them for $500 up to $1500 and you could win 30 or 40 thousand with them but that doesn't happen at all. Because the stake money over there is so much higher now to bring – buy a dog now is not worth it. So because they are worth more over there than what they are worth here so we've gone to breeding now because we are find that's a lot easier to do.
ARG: Yeah, that's one of my next questions actually, like there was once a case if you spent 8-12 thousand on a youngster you are getting a potential champion now that's becoming 20-30K and more so I guess you change your business model to fit that economy, I suppose.
LINDA BRITTON: That's for sure I have changed our tack a few times. It's not worth even bringing in Free to All dogs now because with the like of Zelemar Fever and On Coin and Dyna Nalin, they are dominating it. And once you hit grade 4 now you're a Free to All so it is not worth bringing that better class dog in.
ARG: She'd be the best dog in your kennel at the moment, Zelemar Fever?
LINDA BRITTON: Yes she is the best.
ARG: Who would be the – would Reggemite, you mentioned earlier would that be the best dog you trained?
LINDA BRITTON: I'd say he'd be the best, yeah.
ARG: He'd be the best.
LINDA BRITTON: He was very, very good.
ARG: And, one thing that I was speaking to Molly about when we were talking about advice for the young trainers coming up, Molly was sort of suggesting that you've got very sort of tailored individual programs to suit your dogs?
LINDA BRITTON: Yeah, we do. Yeah, I think the young trainers, I think you really need to feed well, to work them well and to have some advice from someone, a better trainer who gives you good advice. There is a few around that would that and listen to them and you have got every chances – I don't think it is that hard to be a trainer, you just got to be sensible about it.
ARG: Hopefully things go well tonight for you and yeah you've got five good chances in the – across the two group races. Is there any other dogs in tonight you have to steer our listeners into?
LINDA BRITTON: There is one I think, you know, there is going to be fairly long odds later on Din's Harvey, I think a little bit each way maybe.
ARG: Okay, thanks very much for your time.
LINDA BRITTON: Thank you.
ARG: Thanks Linda.