Seven Sinners set to put some sizzle into Ipswich Auction finale

By Pat McLeod

Col Graham may have already been involved in greyhound racing for more than 50 years, but a petite flying machine, uniquely named Seven Sinners, is giving him an appetite for more.

“I just love it (greyhound racing),” he says with genuine delight. “Why wouldn’t you when you have one like this.”

Graham has trained and bred a conga line of champions across those 50 years and Seven Sinners can leapfrog through that queue with a winning performance at Ipswich on Saturday night.

She is one of three members of the Fernando Bale - Inspired Hope litter in the final of the $57,500 Group 3 Ipswich Auction Series (520m).

Seven Sinners and the Greg Brennan-trained Magistrate and Our Opals are part of a very handy litter bred by well-known, former Queensland industry owners Donna Darcy and partner Vince Mackenzie-Ross, who now live at Ballina.

Graham’s nephew, Tony McQueen, is good friends with Mackenzie-Ross. McQueen formed the Cheese Eaters Syndicate, made up of seven first-time owners, purchased Seven Sinners as a three-month-old and then handed the pup over to ‘Uncle Colin’ as trainer.

“She has been a delight since I took her on,” the NSW Northern Rivers-based Graham said.

“She is just a little beauty. She came to me straight from being broken in.

“She is a beautiful little girl. You never hear her around the kennels and I could walk her to the boxes on a piece of cotton. She always does her best.”

Seven Sinners may have a gorgeous nature, but it is her track deeds, and especially, a sizzling start that makes her close to the perfect package.

“Her biggest asset is brilliant speed out of the boxes and she will need that on Saturday night to win,” says Graham.

“She is not the type of dog that can come from behind in this class of race.

“The Box 4 is good because her brother, Our Opals (3), goes towards the rail and I really wanted to draw inside of Magistrate (5), because if I drew outside of him I don't think she could cross him.

“Her first sectionals are a little quicker than his, but not that much quicker.

“She really needs to lead by a good margin ahead of Magistrate and the other big danger, Dolly Dutton. Dolly Dutton is very, very good and very strong.

“If she is able to be ahead of Magistrate at the second sectional mark, she should be able to finish in front of him. But Dolly Dutton is a different story.

“I believe Dolly Dutton and Magistrate are the two big dangers, but, across the field there are a lot of very good dogs in this race.

“Bottom line … my girl has to lead to win.”

Graham said Seven Sinners’ record to date of five wins and a second from just seven starts had ensured the first-time owners were having a sensational debut ride into greyhound racing.

“They are all mates from around the Ballina area,” he says.

“Because there were seven of them, they decided on the Seven Sinners name and they are having a lot of fun with her.

“They are really happy, especially considering when I first started to work with the dog I told them that I didn't think she would get above the 400 metres. So, they are considering this as a massive bonus.

“She did come on season and afterwards she has really blossomed and become so much stronger.”

Graham has just two dogs in work at his five-acre property just north of Kyogle, where he has trained for about 40 years.

However, he has several litters of various ages coming through.

“It’s just a great time to be in greyhound racing,” he said. “The prizemoney is so good, especially in Queensland.

“If everything goes right with Seven Sinners, she will eventually be going to Albion Park for races such as the Young Guns and the Flying Amy.

“Nothing beats speed out of the boxes. She makes life exciting.”