Breeding: SIRE: Dream’s Image DAM: Lady Janellen
Whelped : 01/12/1954
Trainer : Wally Hooper
Owners : Peter Herman
Career Race Record : 67 starts, 36 wins, 23 placings
Career Prizemoney : Unknown
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Winner 1957 Group 1 Melbourne Cup
- Winner 1957 Group 1 Australian Cup
- Winner 1958 Group 1 Hobart 1000
Not only did Rookie Rebel hold track records at two of Australia’s premier racetracks – Sandown Park [555 yards] and Wentworth Park [580 yards] – but his uncanny field sense enabled him to win elite level races such as the Australian Cup, the Melbourne Cup and the Hobart Thousand. In an era where ‘the punt’ was of paramount importance, Rookie Rebel raced on 67 occasions for 36 wins and 23 placings.
In those days greyhounds seemed to change hands for all sorts of reasons, and Rookie Rebel himself had several different trainers including Les Merry, who recently spoke about the former champion. “There aren’t many people still around that were fortunate enough to see Rookie Rebel race. The Australian Cup, the Melbourne Cup and the Hobart Thousand were all run over varied distances on varied tracks and he managed to handle them all”, recalled 83-year-old Merry.
Unfortunately for Merry, he only trained Rookie Rebel for a short period early on in his career, and the circumstances which saw the star enter and depart his kennel were interesting to say the least.
“A guy named Peter Herman had been betting huge for a number of weeks when he approached [Rookie Rebel’s owner] Stan Cleverly and asked him if he had any greyhounds for sale. Stan said he could buy Rookie Rebel from him, who at the time was a promising young dog and a last start winner at Albury, for 1,500 pounds [this was a time when 800 pounds bought you a house]”, Merry recalled.
“Peter said he could only afford to spend 750 pounds. So Stan said he could buy him for 750 pounds on the proviso that he paid him 250 pounds after each of his next three wins and the deal was done. Pete then asked Stan who he thought he should get to train Rookie Rebel, and Stan suggested I train him.”
And so Merry went about trying to win his first race with Rookie Rebel. “I was lucky enough to find a couple of injuries he was carrying straight away. I got him right and we had him ready for a win”, Merry said.