Had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with Ray when over staying with his great mate Ross Mitchell, both tireless workers for greyhound racing over their many years of involvement. Sorry to see that another great of greyhound racing has passed on. South Australian Howard Gray passed on his memories of Ray. On behalf of the Sandown Club we send our condolences to Joan and Ray’s extended family, we will miss him. He was certainly a larger-than-life character. He could be a funny man, loved a bet and people of all walks of life. He was a wonderful family man, extremely good company and had a profound knowledge of our sport. It was for me a privilege to have known Ray after becoming great friends in the early 1980’s. Recently giving mentions to Kantarn, Fanta and Fernando Bale. The best greyhounds he ever saw race were Zoom Top (by a mile), Cheltenham Lass, Black Top and Highly Blessed. He was made a Life Member in 1995 and retired as a director in 1998. He at all times tried to represent as he called them the ‘dog blokes’. Ray was elected to the Sandown Board as a Director in 1980. He joined our club at Sandown during the 1960’s through his association with the legendary Jack McKenna, a man Ray always acknowledged as one of the most important contributors to greyhound racing of his time. Along with Rupert Lee, Fred Booth, Fred Abel and a few others Ray was in the original group that started the Cranbourne Club and was involved for many years of its early success. Another he bred was Perfect Promise who made the Silver Chief final in 1977 which was won by Satan’s Legend. He raced many top performers and considered his best Welcome Girl, a bitch he bred and raced in the mid 1970’s, even though All Promise won the 1980 National Distance Final at Sandown. Ray branched out on his own in the 1960’s training without a break until the late 1990’s. After moving to Dandenong in 1958 he assisted leading Victorian trainer Paul Hogan, also a Sandown Director for 33 years, with his team of greyhounds. Ray started training a whippet before greyhounds and had a break when he got married. He knew and learnt from legendary West Coburg trainers Sid Barrett, Jack Kelly and bookmaker Joe Bell. In those days he also attended the Maribyrnong track, Ray’s father always raced dogs, so he helped out from a young age and also assisted his uncle, former Carlton footballer Rod Mclean. He worked at Napier Park for track manager Frank Morgan and was paid two bob to slip the pacemaker and clean up the catching pen. The first bet he had on a greyhound was a hurdler named Blue Lip at Napier Park.
He retired from the Board after 39 years of service. He joined the Board of Works as a Brickie working his way up through the ranks to a District Maintenance Officer for the Dandenong area. He worked in the Lincoln Cotton Mill during the Second World War and five years after the War became a bricklayer, during that time he met his Wife Joan. He had a run with the Essendon Reserves, a club he supported all his life, and played VFA at Yarraville and Mordialloc. Ray was a West Coburg boy and a handy footballer as a youngster. Passing at the fantastic age of 95 Biro as he was affectionately nick named made an extraordinary contribution to our club right up until his death.
It is with great sadness I acknowledge the passing of Sandown’s longest living Life Member Ray Byron on Monday December 27.
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