From a fluke to a dynasty: How Easy Baby changed Des Douch's life

Wednesday, 19 Aug, 2026,
by Damien Ractliffe

From a fluke to a dynasty: How Easy Baby changed Des Douch’s life

When Des Douch bought a little race bitch from “down the road” more than a decade ago, he had no idea he was laying the foundations for one of Victoria’s most successful greyhound bloodlines.

In fact, Douch admits he had little idea what he was doing at all.

The bitch was Easy Baby, and a chance purchase in 2015 sparked a run of success that continues today through stars such as Melbourne Cup and Phoenix winner Explicit, Group 1 Sapphire Crown winner Here Comes Millie, and last week’s Victorian National Sprint winner Storm Hustler.

“She started the whole show off,” Douch said of Easy Baby, a daughter of El Grand Senor and Uno I’m Loopy.

“That was an absolute fluke.

“I bought a little bitch from down the road and it was one of the first dogs I trained. I had no idea what I was doing back then. She won a couple of races over 400 metres and I retired her and got her into a pup.”

What happened next was little more than instinct.

Douch was at home watching racing on television when he spotted Banjo Boy standing at stud.

“I’d never heard of him or nothing,” he recalled.

“I rang the bloke up and said, ‘Could I buy a straw to Banjo Boy?’

“He said no worries, and I got her in pup to Banjo Boy and I fluked Brueghelino, Big Flood, Tidelina, Petadale, all city winners. Just an absolute fluke, and it just went on from there.”

The mating would prove transformative.

Brueghelino and Tidelina became the cornerstones of a breeding program that consistently produced elite performers.

“Tidelina and Brueghelino just kept throwing good litters after that as well,” Douch said.

“Just complete luck.”

One of the most influential matings came when Tidelina was bred to champion sire Bernardo.

That litter of eight produced a remarkable collection of talent, including Group 1 finalists Here Comes Artie and Zara Marnie, Group 2 finalists Skinny Olive and Spot Fox, and Group 3 finalist Feather Nest.

Today, Feather Nest carries the family torch as the dam of Storm Hustler.

The success of the Bernardo-Tidelina mating encouraged Douch to return to the well, later sending Brueghelino to the champion sire.

That cross produced another influential litter, including Here Comes Dezel, Victorian Greyhound of the Year Explicit and Group 1 Sapphire Crown winner Here Comes Millie, Douch’s first triumph at the elite level.

Douch said the family has continued to deliver generation after generation.

Here Comes Dezel produced 14 wins and six seconds from 28 starts, but the luck ran out before his potential was fulfilled.

“He’s definitely the best I’ve ever had,” Douch said of Here Comes Dezel.

“But he went amiss. He had 12 months off and came back and won first-up and then won again.

“But I had to retire him. He had too many problems, but he was the fastest dog I ever had.”

For all the major-race success, Douch remains most appreciative of the dogs that built the family from the ground up.

He recently farewelled one of those foundation bitches when Tidelina was euthanised after battling cancer.

“I had to put poor old Tidelina down a few weeks ago,” he said.

“She was 13 though, but she had a good life here.

“She was good to me as well.”

The memories remain everywhere he looks.

“Her and Brueghelino, and I’ve still got Big Flood here as well,” Douch said.

“He was a great dog. He made numerous Group 1s, ran third in the Easter Egg. He was a very fast dog.”

Looking back on the remarkable run that began with Easy Baby, Douch still shakes his head at what followed.

“Unbelievable,” he said.

“It’s been fantastic, the dogs I’ve had over the years. I’ve been lucky.”

And all because one day, a novice trainer bought a handy little bitch from down the road and took a chance on a sire he’d never heard of.

Storm Hustler wins the Victorian National Sprinter final last week from box one in a time of 29.46 seconds.

Box draws for the three Nationals events will be conducted live on Grey Areas from 12pm on Friday. You can watch Grey Areas on GRV’s Facebook or Youtube on GRVExtra.