A rare photo I have not seen before of Rookie Rebel winning at Wentworth Park in 1957. The margin was 10 lengths and the time 31.5/10ths only one 10th of a second outside the existing record held jointly at the time by Macareena and Farrago.
Brian Jones of Lara, pretty sure it’s the one and the same that trained a dog for us some time ago. Sent me this rare photo he has of Rookie Rebel winning first up at Wenty in 1957. It’s the original framed photo, I am using a cleaned-up version on the website.
Also the story of this extraordinary race dog with much of it told to me by the late Les Merry as good a raconter as I have ever met he trained Rookie for a period of time and his insight is worth the read.
HALL OF FAME – ROOKIE REBEL
By Neil Brown
One the great champions of the late 50’s was the mighty Rookie Rebel, the story behind this classical race dog is in itself a true reflection of that bygone era when the punt was of paramount importance and dogs could change hands for all sorts of reasons. Here’s the tale behind a true Hall of Famer remembered for his uncanny field sense and sheer ability by all those who saw him race.
Rookie Rebel was bred by legendary New South Wales’s owner-trainer-breeder the late Les Brett at his Roccabright Kennels in Kellyville. The property was later to become the home of super sire Black Top when purchased by Frank Holmes. His dam was Lady Janellen a superbly bred brindle bitch by Chief Havoc from Clever Vixen, she was owned by Sonny Gram and was on loan to Brett. He chose to her put her to the leading sire of the time, Dream’s Image. The litter was whelped in December 1954 and consisted of three dogs and three bitches, Rookie Rebel’s litter brothers and sisters were named Plenty Sparkle, Starlike Lass, Sunmaker and two brilliant greyhounds raced by Les Brett, the 1956 Harold Park Classic winner Smooth Event and outstanding race dog and leading sire Sunview, who sired the 1962 and 63 Melbourne Cup winners and litter brothers Saskagay and Saskaview. While both dogs went to stud at the end of their race careers Sunview was by far the most successful dispite Rookie Rebel receiving every chance serving many top quality bitches.
Brett reared the pups at his Kellyville property and at 13 months of age he sold Rookie Rebel to the astute Stan Cleverley for a reported 500 pound. A tidy sum for an unbroken pup when you consider you could buy a brand new family car for a 1000 pound.
Cleverley brought the white dog back to his Cheltenham Park complex in Victoria, broke him in then transferred the dog on a short-term lease to Eddie Roberts. It’s unknown what role Roberts had to play in the “Rookie Rebel” story other than, he was a Cleverley confidant and was training the greyhound in his early race career and produced him for his first start. Veteran Victorian journeyman Les Merry had trained several dogs for Cleverley and remembers the champion’s debut at about 17 months of age, the start was at Wagga in late 1956. These days Les Merry and Victorian Steve McKee are probably the longest serving registered trainers in Australia. At 76 years of age, Merry has been licenced since he was 16, when the late Roy Maidment granted him his trainers brief in 1942. Merry takes up the story.
“ Eddie and I went up together, Rookie Rebel showed above average ability right from the time he was broken in. The dog had been going all right and I had another one of Stan’s named Jet Amber, which I entered for the two day Wagga Cup Carnival. You could get on for anything at those meetings; there were a heap of big bookies fielding up there. Stan was short of funds which wasn’t uncommon in those days and he asked me to catch the train down to Cheltenham Park and drive his brand new Pontiac to Reg Hunt’s in Point Nepean Road. He sold it for 200 pound more than what it was worth because you just couldn’t get new cars in those days. Stan hired a light aircraft and backed both dogs off the map. Rookie Rebel won his maiden over the 503 yards but didn’t handle the track at all, he wasn’t suited to a place like Wagga; the other bitch Jet Amber was very smart and bolted in. I’ll tell you how much he won, on the following Monday he paid 5000 pound for a new Delux Packard, it was a beautiful American car top of the range. Over the next couple of months, the dog went off a bit, Stan had no idea he would turn out the dog he did or he would never have sold him. A very big punter who was new to everyone at that time turned up at Stan’s to buy a dog, his name was Peter Herman. Stan offered him Rookie Rebel for 1500 pound which Herman couldn’t afford but Cleverley did a deal with him for 750 pound and got him to sign an agreement to pay Stan 250 pound from each of his first three wins. Herman asked Cleverley to recommend a trainer and he came to me at Abbotsford. I got him going pretty good and entered him and Montana Jet for Hobart on a Saturday near the end of ‘56. Only trouble was when I fronted Herman on the Thursday night at Sandown to let him know what was going on, he had no money. So Stan gave him his 40-pound plane fare and 200 pound to put on “Rookie” all up the other dog. Stan and I get to Hobart and Herman doesn’t front, both dogs won conformable and we come home with plenty. Now I’ve always trained on half the prizemoney and I took Herman’s half to North Melbourne on the Monday night to give to him, but again no sign of him. At 2 am the next morning I’m a woken by a knock at the door and there’s a Snr Police Officer with a young lady, it turns out to be Herman’s wife and they want Rookie Rebel. Herman’s out the front, not game to come in. I explain the situation to the copper and bring him inside, we call Cleverley and Herman has to hand over the balance of the 250-pound before he can repossess the dog. He put “Rookie” in the back of his tiny little car and I‘m told had to keep him there for two days. Herman drives into the Five Way Garage in Carlton, which at the time was run by dog and horse bookies Wally and Joe Scomazzon; he asks them if they know a trainer he can give the dog too. At that very moment the late Wally Hooper drives in to get petrol and ends up with the dog. Hooper some how got the dog on a 10-year lease and received 100% of the prizemoney so Herman never got another cracker out of him. Stan later sued Herman for the 500 pound and won but he never saw the 200 he gave him to go to Hobart with.”
As you can see Les Merry’s memory is as they say, as sharp as a tack!
In February 1957, Hooper tackled the cream of Australian sprinters in the Hobart 1000; at that time it was the most prestigious race on the Australian greyhound calendar. At only 26 months old the brilliant white and fawn dog was most unlucky to be beaten by the smallest of margins, a nose; it what was an outstanding performance. The winner was a locally trained by Nip Smith, a dog named Rising Ace which won from box one at 20/1 in 30 and 3/10ths for the 540 yards. “Rookie” started 7/4 favourite from box 10 was slow out and came home after weaving his way through the field.
After racing well throughout the year winning 16 races, Rookie won a heat of the Melbourne Cup in the fastest time of 30 and 11/16ths. Rookie Rebel defeating the well performed Cantee after being backed from 3/1 to 5/4 he came from behind to win racing away by four lengths. In those early years the race was run as a handicap and Rookie started from 17 yards, they also had 14 heats, which were run over two nights.
In the final Rookie Rebel was backed from 4/1 into 9/4 favourite, he did everything right to win the Melbourne Gold Cup over the 565 yards at Sandown. Beginning faster than usual he cut off backmarkers Montana Jet (16) Style Bird (15) and Red Namoi (16) early by crossing to the rails and just led to the first turn where he bumped co-leaders Amulet (18) and Grancop (18). The champ cleared right away to win by six lengths in 30 and 14/16ths from Montana Jet owned by Cleverley and trained by Merry. Grancop who finished third was trained by Ray Webb who later stood Rookie Rebel at stud. Hooper had trained greyhounds for many years and the Cup was by far his biggest success.
Come February 1958 “Rookie” was back in Hobart for another tilt at the 1000, due to his performances he started off the 1/10th of a second handicap, the boxes opened at different times considering what your dog’s time handicap was. He made the final for the second year in a row and again started favourite at the short quote of 4/6. Despite jumping from the extreme outside in box 10, he survived a buffeting in the early stages, then got to the rail and raced away to win brilliantly by eight lengths, setting the race record in 29 and 8/10ths for the 540 yards. Runner up was Double Jade with Guyza third. It’s notable that in those days Hobart had an outside lure as in England, and the handicaps went from one to ten.
Back to Melbourne for the Australian Cup in March, and the question was could he create history by winning the treble. His handicap of eight yards saw him concede up to six yards to some runners in the series.
Rookie Rebel, started 10/9 on favorite, and brilliantly took out the final and the 2700-pound Australian Cup at North Melbourne.
There was no element of fluke or favour in his success; it was achieved by sheer brilliance.
At the Judge with a full lap to go. Ivoria Boy (50/1,14) was leading from The Deaner (100/1, 13), Magic Babe (2/1, 11) and Rookie Rebel.
Ivoria Boy led by five lengths at the tower, where Rookie Rebel moved up to join The Deaner, with Magic Babe fourth.
There was a roar of consternation when The Deaner, boring out, bumped Rookie Rebel off balance temporarily and Ivoria Boy gained a six lengths break.
The champion would not acknowledge defeat, however, and with a powerful drive he caught the runaway leader at the home turn.
The applause was deafening as Rookie Rebel raced away to beat Magic Babe by four lengths in 36 2/16ths for the 675 yards equalling the record time he set in his heat, with Idle Mate (25/1, 12) finishing on to take third Placing from Ivoria Boy.
Rookie, having won the Melbourne Cup, a Hobart Thousand and Australian Cup, had become the highest stake‑winning greyhound ever to race in Australia and Undoubtedly at least equal to the best dog anyone had ever seen. The Minister for Lands. Mr. Turnbull in presenting the 800-pound cheque and trophy to Rookie’s lessee‑trainer, Wally Hooper, gave full credit to the champion’s performance and also congratulated the MGRA directors on the conduct of the meeting.
The champ ran the fastest times in each of the three stages of the Cup and his 36 and 2/16ths seconds recorded in his heat and final were record runs.
Moomba Queen, Miss Norma Jones, added a nice touch of glamour when after decorating Rookie Rebel with a sash, paraded with him and Wally around the track.
I estimate Rookie Rebel had only another 20 or so starts before being retired to stud in September of 1958. During those final starts he equalled Farrago’s 1951, 580 yard track record at Wentworth Park recording a win in 31.5/10ths. He also set a new record at Sandown over the 555 yards in running 30 and 14/16ths seconds in defeating Lucky Bingo raced by Stan Cleverley in an Invitation. The 64 pound white and fawn dog’s race record stood at 67 starts for 36 wins,17 seconds and six thirds. Rookie Rebel stood at stud for Ray Webb at Mont Albert, in suburban Victoria at a fee of 50 Gns plus freight. His first pups were whelped in November 1958 with three litters to Blonde Dawn, Crown Signal and Tiny Jet. In a stud career that spanned the next four years he severed some 72 bitches and it’s fair to say he had limited success. However he did produce some handy pups, the best being Bybrae the 1961 Melbourne Cup winner. Bybrae came from a very good litter from a bitch called Byasta; the litter also contained top-notch galloper Rookon. But at stud he did live in the shadow of his litter brother Sunview who produced many outstanding greyhounds and as mentioned earlier sired duel Melbourne Cup winners Saskagay and Saskaview and the immortal stud sire Shan’s View.
To finish the Rookie Rebel story and get a handle on just how good he was, in those days the limit to how many features races you could win, numbered only six and “Rookie” was able to win three of those. While I’ll quote three highly respected judges of the code, firstly the late Jack Woodward who reported on greyhound racing for almost 40 years, wrote in 1958. “I doubt whether we have seen one better, if he is not the best he is certainly equal to any I have seen race.” And 84 year old George Schofield legendary muscleman (who checked the champ), former bookmaker, feared punter, studmaster and administrator told me.
” Rookie Rebel is the best dog in a field I’ve ever seen, it was as if he looked up over them to plan a run, an amazing dog.” Schofield should know; he trained his first double in 1936.
Finally Bill Pearson founder of the Gold Form Guide 40 years ago and follower of the sport since the early 30’s told me “As far as best stayers I’ve seen race, I could never split Zoom Top, Bunyip Bint and Rookie Rebel.” Not bad company to be equalled too.
There’s one thing for sure and certain, Rookie Rebel is a worthy member of the AUSTRALIAN GREYHOUND HALL OF FAME.