'Franky' set to do Orman family proud

By Jordan Gerrans

Just days after another Saturday city treble, premier Brisbane hoop James Orman is set to turn his attention to another code of racing in the Sunshine State.

The 27-year-old has dabbled in greyhound ownership across his career in the saddle but the unraced Ouch My Franky will break new ground for the Orman family at Ipswich on Tuesday.

The leading rider purchased the son of Feral Franky to race for his family, including wife Heidi, son Floyd and daughter Hallie.

Young Floyd has been a keen watcher of greyhound racing at Albion Park in recent times so his father thought the best option would be to find him a dog of his own for him to cheer on.

Floyd is set to receive an early mark from daycare on Tuesday to head to the track to watch Ouch My Franky have his first race start.

“We are hopeful the dog goes well,” Orman said.

“But, really, it’s all just a bit of fun for the family.

“We originally had a race name for him that mentioned all our first names, the four of us from our family in it but they didn’t let us have it so we went with Ouch My Franky.

“It is a bit of fun for the family and something to watch.

“We have been to the track and watched the greyhounds a few times and my son Floyd really liked going to Albion Park.”

Ouch My Franky’s kennel name is Floyd.

Prepared by Jemma Daley at Park Ridge South, there is early optimism the blue brindle dog will have a promising race career ahead of himself.

Daley is a former jockey and trackwork rider.

Orman and Daley spent some time working at Kelly Schweida’s barn around the same time as Orman’s wife Heidi.

Orman – who is leading the state and city jockey’s premiership again in 2024-25 – first met Daley when she was still riding in races.

He recalls that it was on the same day he rode his first provincial winner at Dalby that they began their connection.

Now entrenched in the greyhound code as a top conditioner in the Sunshine State, Daley thinks Ouch My Franky still has some learning to do but notes there is some upside with him.

“He is a lovely big dog,” Daley said.

“We are going to the races on Tuesday and we will see what he does because he is pretty keen.

“We are just hoping the penny can drop for him. He has shown me glimpses of ability.”

From a Feral Franky and Steamy Windows mating, the multiple Group-level winning mentor believes Ouch My Franky’s breeding suggests he will be more than competitive racing in Queensland.

While Ouch My Franky has not yet had a race start, he is already a winner.

The young dog competed at the Ekka earlier this year and was crowned class champion for intermediate dogs.

It was a prolific Ekka for Daley as well as she walked away with a handful of prizes for the team she presented with.

It has already been floated that Ouch My Franky may end up living out his retirement days at Orman’s house when he does eventually finish up as a race dog.

But, the team behind the debutant runner are hopeful that there are many race victories between now and then.

“He is a beautiful looking dog,” Orman said.

“We watched him have a trial at Albion Park on his own one night.

“Jemma is hopeful he will go ok but she thinks there is improvement in him still.”

Orman posted a winning treble on Saturday in town which included the Listed Queensland Cup aboard Nikau Spur for the training team of Corey and Kylie Geran.

After riding a ton of metropolitan winners last campaign, he is on track for another strong term in the saddle.

He has dabbled in greyhound ownership before, having shares in a chaser named Head Wreck, who won seven races, as well as a dog named Zipping Dudley who wasn’t as successful.

“I have had a couple of other dogs with mates in years gone by but the family was keen to have one ourselves,” Orman said.

“The dog is in my name but it is for the whole family really.

“I was originally going to go halves with a few mates in the dog but we have ended up keeping it for the family.”

Ouch My Franky has drawn the four in the opening event from Ipswich on Tuesday over 431 metres.