The late legendary trainer Stan Cleverley a GCA Hall of Famer was well known as a punter and licked nothing better than pulling off a plunge on tracks all over Australia. If we ever needed evidence, I found this article where Stan left it in at White City in 1949.
I have included a story I did with information from a publication on Stan by Jeff Collerson.
Doug Scott: The final was run after the last…doug
Frank Harney: Wonderful history
Glenn Huxley: Thank you for posting, Neil. Great stuff! Have a look at the “Whippets” at the end of the results. A hurdle race for whippets? That would have been worth waiting for. (Kind regards for ’23 folks).
AUSTRALIA’S BEST TRAINERS
“ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP – STAN CLEVERLEY”
By Neil Brown
At AGM this month I have decided to introduce another ongoing series, showcasing this country’s very best trainers. We’ll find out how they got to the top, and their methods of staying there. I believe without fear of contradiction; Aussie greyhound trainers are the best in the world. This opinion is shared by many visiting Veterinary Surgeons, whilst a host of overseas conditioners have confirmed what we have known for a long time. Over the years since the turn of the twentieth century and to the present day, Australia as a nation has produced scores of brilliant men and women greyhound trainers who have become experts in their chosen field of expertise. We at AGM will endeavor to bring to you, our readers, the story behind a number of our past and present champion trainers. To kick the series off, I have chosen a man who we lost last year, the great Victorian and New South Wales mentor Stan Cleverley. Cleverley may be gone but will never be forgotten by anyone from his generation, his story is fascinating, and one which highlights just what greyhound racing was like in an era where the punt ruled the day. It was a time when setting up a winner was a skill all of its own and vital for survival.
HIS LAST THREE CHAMPIONS
A measure of Cleverley’s success in one-year 1969, when he won the NSW “Trainer Of The Year”. His dogs won $51,925 in prizemoney from only 20 race wins on Sydney’s two metropolitan tracks as against 31 wins by Hec Watt. But in terms of prizemoney, the fairest guide to real success, Cleverley was Australia’s number one conditioner. Cleverley’s feature wins that year, included the Hobart Thousand, Australian Cup, Melbourne Cup, Harold Park Classic, Summer Cup, White City Trophy, Farrell’s Championship and the Daphne Smith Memorial Classic. With due respect, the master trainer in that period had arguably the best three greyhounds racing in the country at the time.
Milimsimbi, with $19, 728 was his top earner, after leading the Harold Park Classic, Melbourne Cup and Daphne Smith Memorial. He just shaded Benjamin John, with $18,956 who scored in the Hobart Thousand, Australian Cup, Farrell’s Championship and White City Trophy. Bunyip Bint, the Summer Cup winner for Cleverley, earned $6,030 in prizemoney. She also ended the year as the world’s record holder for 800 yards after having twice clocked 42.7 at Harold Park. Benjamin John ran a record 36-sec. in winning over 675 yards at Cessnock during that year.
His defeat by Milimsimbi, his kennelmate, in the Melbourne Cup, precluded him from becoming only the second dog in history to win the “grand slam” – the Hobart Thousand, Australian Cup and Melbourne Cup. The only dog to perform this feat previously is Rookie Rebel, who was bred by George “Sonny” Gram in NSW, but did most of his successful racing in Victoria. Cleverley owned Rookie Rebel but sold the dog before he went on to win the “grand slam”. But this was typical of Cleverley’s outlook on greyhound racing.
THE BEGINNING
Stan Cleverley had been a racing fanatic ever since his school days. Not an enthusiast in the sense of someone who likes to go to the races and bet, but the participation in all kinds of racing captured his imagination. At the age of 12, he took up racing pigeons and even at that young age, showed his ability as a conditioner, for he had quite a good deal of success despite the fact that he was competing against pigeon fanciers many years his senior. Stan held fond memories of the first pigeon to win a race for him, a bird called “The Little Wonder”.
Later he switched from pigeon racing to whippet racing and in the early twenties raced whippets with the Whippet Club of Victoria on a track at Flemington Bridge.
At 19 he took up professional running and competed quite successfully until he gave it away at 24. He achieved his fair amount of success considering he was so big. His weight was never less than 94 kilograms.
In 1928 Stan took over the training and ownership of a greyhound called Glen Elvy. Glen Elvy won at the live hare coursing on the Plumpton. But he was only moderate, and Stan had to wait seven years until latching onto his first top notcher. The dog’s name was Don’s Hope, and he was beaten by only half-a-point by the famous Observandy in the Victorian Derby. He was renamed Gypsy Point when he contested the Derby. Don’s Hope was a specialist on the old Napier Park track in Victoria and he was so good that at one stage he was on a handicap of 14 yards behind in races over only 400 yards there. Other good “prewar” performers Stan raced included Innesfall and Vertex. Vertex was particularly smart, winning the Waterloo and Kilcoy Cups and taking every grade in succession on the White City straight track until he was off a handicap of four yards behind over 250 yards. In 1939, Stan won the Victorian Oaks on the racetrack with Molly’s Watch a sister to Vertex. Stan’s greyhound training was interrupted at the outbreak of World War 11, and he served in the Middle East. On his return he easily took up where he left off and in 1949, he paid $1,400 for a bitch called Pearleen.
AFTER THE WAR
Pearleen had just won three out of three starts at Corowa, but nevertheless people said Stan was “mad” to pay such a big price for a lightly raced youngster. But again, it was Cleverley’s finesse which won the day, for Pearleen was an outstanding galloper and her wins included the $2,800 Commemoration Cup at White City, at that period the richest tin hare race held in Australia. In Stan’s own words, “Pearleen paid her purchase price about six times over”.
Handsome Choice was another great galloper Stan raced, and he must have created something of a record by winning 35 top grade races in only 12 months.
Bayer, which cost Stan $1,200 won the Queensland Cup from seven yards behind and would have been even more successful at stud but for a premature death only six months after his retirement.
In the six months he stood at stud, Bayer sired three Melbourne Cup winners including Murray Bay and the brilliant Harbour Man. But just as Stan had bad luck regarding Bayer’s stud career, so too did he have some ill fortune with racing dogs.
He was all set to purchase Black Jowett for $20 at the age of 10 months but was dissuaded from making the sale after being told Black Jowett was a “fighter”.
Instead, Stan bought two six-week-old Jowett pups for $20 each. The pups he bought proved useless, but Black Jowett became a star.
STAN’S BEST EVER
In 1934 Stan purchased Hillcrest later renamed Tola from Ray Herbert for $20. At the time Stan was working for the Board Of Works on a weekly wage of 4 pounds, 16 shillings and 8 pence per week. Stan set Hillcrest for a race and had his life savings, amounting to $90 on her. He made the statement prerace she’d have to fall over to lose, and that’s exactly what she did. Broke and disillusioned Stan sold Hillcrest to Jim Harvey for the $90. But at her next start for Harvey, Stan put the $90 back onto Hillcrest averaged 9/2 and “kicked” again after Hillcrest won easily. Hillcrest won three finals of $100 Handicaps over 620 yards at White City before being killed when she crashed into a gate.
Stan was asked during the 70’s to name his best dogs, and he displayed his excellent memory by rattling off a list which resembled a “who’s who” of greyhound stars of yesteryear. They included Yawl, Rocky Ros, Montana Jet, Satchmo, Good Reyenue, Egalite, Sabre Hawk, Danny Dan, Portland Bay, Susie’s Dream, Teledex, Significant, Good Leather, Bayer, Speedy Jet, Vertex, Rookie Rebel, Speedy Jet, Lucky Bingo, Rocket Jet, Sharid, Rockleen, Pearleen, Our Benega, Ace Angel and Hansome’s Choice, and of course Milimsimbi, Bunyip Bint and Benjamin John.
At that time he was also quizzed to perhaps single out his best two. He showed a slight leaning for Lucky Bingo, just ahead of Rocket Jet. Lucky Bingo retired as possibly the most consistent greyhound seen in Australia, with 33 wins, four seconds and two-thirds from 42 starts. He was retired at 2 ½ years of age after injuring a shoulder and tearing off a dew claw in a race at Wentworth Park.
Rocket Jet also retired at 2 ½ after winning from 230 yards straight to 620 yards circle. He also won the Kedron Thousand in Brisbane after giving up to five yards start to the best dogs from three states, and as a maiden puppy he broke Chief Havoc’s track record over 520 yards at Ballina, by 6-10 sec. Rocket Jet then went on to equal the 440 yards record at Grafton, broke the 620 record at White City and smashed the 500 record at Narrandera. Rocket Jet’s late race success in Harold Park Stake, was rated the best performance of his career as he overcame a bad check at the first turn to thrash such stars as Oakleigh Chief, Shy Baldy, Gwydir Boy, Travelling Lad, Pretty Highlight, Dinny Havoc and Silent Toi.
Sharid gave Stan his first Harold Park Classic win in 1951, while he won the big race in 1958 with Montana Jet. Milimsimbi gave him a “hat trick” in 69.
Stan left Victoria in 1957 and took up residence in Sydney. At this time, he experienced a slice of bad luck as he had paid a deposit on an entire litter of puppies by Lucky Bingo from Jetrock, Rockleen’s sister, but when he moved to Sydney, Stan found he had nowhere to keep the pups. So, he therefore had to forfeit the deposit and the litter. The litter turned out to be a champion one and included Pine Top, the Harold Park Classic winner, Pine Valley, the Victorian Derby winner and Go Jet, the champion Tasmanian bitch.
BIG PUNTING DAYS
When he left Victoria, Stan left behind him a reputation as one of the most successful punting owners ever to compete there. He had even made lightning trips to Sydney to “skin” the bookies and rates one night in December 1954, as his most successful evening. He led a plunge on Rockleen, who firmed from 5/2 to 5/4 to win at Harold Park, and also spearheaded a betting splurge on Speedy Jet, whose odds tumbled from 5/1 to 2/1, at the same meeting.
The result – a cool $24,000 in front on the night.
Not long after the War he paid $800 for a dog called Rougal. Rougal didn’t take long to repay its new owner and landed more than $10, 000 in bets when he won at Napier Park, Melbourne, after firming in the betting from 5/1 to 5/4.
From such winnings Stan bought $14,000 worth of dogs in the early post war years and at one stage this successful team of dogs won 10 races for him in a week.
Of course, not all Stan’s betting plunges were fruitful. One photo finish defeat at Harold Park cost him a $5,000 result while on another occasion he was unlucky when he backed Bayer to win $10,000 at the same course. Bayer was cut out at the start but moved up to be a close fourth coming to the first bend. As Bayer made his forward move, a runner ahead of him moved across and caught a toenail in Bayer’s near front foot, cutting the foot to the bone. Bayer fell back through the field and then came again in the straight to run fifth “on three legs”.
THE FIRST WITH THE BIG COMPLEXES.
One of Stan’s mottos was “you get back as much as you put into the sport” and he always practised what he preached. In the mid fifties he spent $40,000 on a complete “tin hare” track on an 11-acre property at Cheltenham. This training track modelled on the best London and Sydney greyhound courses was rated the best in Victoria. When he moved to Sydney he again had to have the best and built a magnificent trailing track up at Minto near Campbelltown. The Minto set up consisted of a circular grass track, a big oval shaped loam track and a gruelling uphill straight track.
Stan never left any stone unturned during the Australian Cup campaign with Benjamin John. He flew the dog back to Sydney from Melbourne after the little fawn and white dog had pulled up “sore” in winning a semi-final of the Cup. Stan then drove from Mascot Airport to Wyong and had Benjamin John’s “soreness” remedied by well-known greyhound chiropractor Jack Irwin. Benjamin John was flown straight back to Melbourne and proved the trip was worthwhile by winning the Cup final.
At the time, Cleverley said his dog improved five lengths in the final, but just the same I wonder how many trainers in those days would have gone to the trouble of flying from Melbourne to Sydney and back to have their dog treated by their regular masseur.
GOOD MONEY FOR DOGS
Cleverley was never frightened to sell his dogs for good money. He sold Rocky Ros before he won the Australian Cup. By the same token, Cleverley never made any secret of the fact that buying dogs was the main factor contributing to his extraordinarily consistent trot of success over his long time as a trainer. He always liked to see a dog run before he brought them. Cleverley bought Bunyip Bint from her breeder, Ernie Hall of Victoria for $1200 after he broke her in. Hall sent the litter including Bunyip Bint, Bunyip Prince, Bunyip Jess and Marney’s Joy to be educated by Stan. The minute he saw her gallop he wanted Bunyip Bint and although Ernie wasn’t fussy about selling her Cleverley got her for $1200.
Cleverley’s other purchases included Rockleen for $800, Yawl for $800, Good Leather for $1600, Sharid for $800, Lucky Bingo for $1600 and Sarafand for $1000.
BEST JUDGE OF GREYHOUND ABILITY
At the time he bought them, these seemed big amounts, but Cleverley was recognised as one of the best judges of a young greyhound’s ability. It was this innate recognition of potential which helped Cleverley reach the top as an owner-trainer. Lucky Bingo had won 6 of his 10 starts when Cleverley paid $1600 for him, but he went even better for Stan. After being taken over by Cleverley he scored 24 wins and 2 seconds in his first 27 starts. Sharid, which cost him $800 was purchased from GBOTA Director, Mr. Fred Gawne. Stan later sold Fred a half share in Bunyip Bint to encourage him back into greyhound ownership after Mr. Gawne had been out of the sport for several years. For Stan, Sharid won the inaugural Harold Park Annual Classic back in 1951, as well as a host of other topline races.
Good Leather was always rated as one of Stan’s “best buys”. Cleverley purchased him from Queenslander Dave Gannon for $1600. At that stage, Good Leather had raced 13 times in the “banana state” for 11 wins and two seconds including heat and final of the famous Kedron Thousand. In NSW he had raced seven times for Gannon for three wins and a second, the wins being Grafton, Cessnock and Casino. When taken over by Cleverley, then domiciled in Victoria, Good Leather won his first six races in succession. Good Leather had first caught Cleverley’s eye when he downed Stan’s dog, Bayer, in the Queensland Thousand. Rockleen, Stan’s $800 buy won a string of races, landed a small fortune in betting plunges, whelped a litter of puppies, then returned to the track and won again.
After being permanently retired, Rockleen became an outstanding brood bitch and was the grand-dam of former world 500-yard record-holder, The Shoe.
ADVICE TO NEWCOMERS
Stan was never afraid to offer advice to newcomers to greyhound training. Stan maintained that the first thing a young trainer must do is get his dog fit INSIDE before attempting to train him for racing. Stan claimed the only way to learn was to learn by your own mistakes. He advised not to listen to everybody, as several different people are likely to give a young trainer different advice, all meaning well. The best way was to pick one successful trainer and follow his ideas closely. But you can only do this to a certain extent; he felt it was best to learn from your own mistakes. Stan firmly believed that anything in the line of food or tonics which was beneficial to humans was equally as good for greyhounds. Like most leading trainers, he also believed in the correct rearing of puppies. He insisted they must have plenty of room to gallop from the day they’re born, he once said you “can’t raise a champion racehorse in a stall”.
FEEDING MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE
Cleverley was an advocate in his day, for the proper feeding of young puppies. He felt it could make the difference between success and failure in their later racing careers. Stan’s feeding methods are interesting, he liked his pups to have plenty of roughage and cooked vegetables, while his champion race dogs were fed as follows. For breakfast the dogs were fed a small cup of milk, a full egg including the shell, a biscuit and some Glucose D. For the evening meal he fed minced beef along with accessories such as lettuce, tomatoes, celery, silverbeet, carrots and cooked linseed. Stan never believed in feeding horsemeat, he claimed there was no iron in horsemeat as the reason. He also exploded the theory that dogs should not eat egg white. Stan claimed this to be rubbish, stating the whole egg was nourishing, especially the shell being a good source of calcium.
Exercise has changed over the years, as we all know. Stan’s dogs were walked four miles every morning, but at night were only exercised for a mile. He also urged young trainers to learn the art of massaging their dogs after a race or trial. Stan was a great believer in this and learned massage technique from the famous masseur Jimmy Byron, an Aborigine who trained three Stawell Gift winners.
Stan Cleverley passed away in the first week of November last year at the fantastic age of 92, and although his reign as one Australia’s best trainers, finished in the early 70’s. I’m sure you will agree that as a sheer piece of history, his story in the sport was a tale that had to be told.
****** Major research for this article was compiled from the 1970 publication Australian Greyhound Annual with the kind permission of author Jeff Collerson.