Jack and Lorraine Roy.
The Northern Territory’s greyhound racing scene is abuzz, all eyes now fixed on the highly anticipated Darwin Cup Final on Monday, August 4. This year, the excitement carries an extra layer of intrigue, as three remarkable greyhounds with a shared history are set to battle it out: Bull’s Chance, Ace’s Chance, and Bart’s Chance. While only two are littermates, all three began their storied careers under the watchful eye of the veteran trainer, Jack Roy, in the regional hub of Temora. The dusty tracks of Temora, New South Wales, are where their journeys truly began.
Bull’s Chance and Ace’s Chance, black and white bundles of energy, were whelped on October 26, 2021, by the esteemed sire Orson Allen and dam Rare Chance.
As former owner and breeder Michael Hugo proudly recounts, “Jackie and Lorraine [Roy] had all the Chance dogs. They’ve had every dog I’ve had. That’s where they start. I’ve probably been with them for 20-25 years.”
Indeed, Jack Roy, now 86 in January and having trained since the 1970s, provided invaluable guidance. “He’s starting to slow up,” Hugo notes, but his foundational work for these dogs, and many others, is undeniable.
Bart’s Chance, a slightly younger black dog from a different lineage (Aston Dee Bee x Extreme Chance, whelped December 31, 2022), also honed his raw speed in Temora.
While Jack and Lorraine handled many of Hugo’s dogs from breaking in, Hugo also clarified, “The other dogs were broken in by different people. Greg Derrick broke a couple in, and Michael [referring to himself] sent a couple away to different greyhound educational facilities.”
The lineage of these “Chance” dogs is deeply personal for Michael Hugo. It all started with a foundational bitch named “It’s A Chance.” Hugo took a leap of faith, mating her to the top sire of the time, Bombastic Shiraz, about 20 years ago. “He was the number one sire in Australia back then, and he was $6500. It was a lot of money and I was only just starting,” Hugo recalls. This pivotal litter produced “Half A Chance,” a daughter Hugo kept, who then became a phenomenal brood bitch herself.
“Where I live now, she produced everything I got out here,” he shares, including “More Maree” and even the Temora track record holder, “Pigeon’s Desire,” trained by Terry O’Keefe. This deep family line has proven incredibly successful, with “Rare Chance” (the mother of Bull’s Chance and Ace’s Chance) alone throwing strong dogs and accumulating roughly $500,000 in progeny earnings.
Hugo notes, “You look at her progeny (Rare Chance), she’s won probably about the same amount, $500,000.” He emphasises the importance of good breeding, having used top lines like Premier Fantasy and Barcia Bale, and even taking a chance on specific cross-breeding like Fabregas over Rare Chance, just as he put Spring Gun (a Bombastic dog) over More Maree. He also recalls a Magambo pup from the “It’s A Chance” line that was “a length off the record” at Dapto on its second look and won at Wentworth Park without even trialling – a huge achievement.
As their early careers progressed, their paths began to diverge from Jack Roy’s direct care. Bull’s Chance, a model of consistency, continued to develop into a formidable sprinter, amassing 21 wins from 65 starts and over $45,000 in prizemoney. He remained under the astute care of Graeme Ferns, steadily building a reputation for reliability. His littermate, Ace’s Chance, embarked on a more varied journey. After his initial schooling with Jack Roy, he spent a period with trainer Jeff Crawford, even venturing into longer distances, proving his versatility and stamina. With 21 wins from 67 starts and an impressive $122,000 in earnings, Ace’s Chance showed he could adapt to any challenge.
Recently, in July 2025, he returned to familiar hands, joining his brother Bull’s Chance under Graeme Ferns, a strategic move that appears to have ignited his Darwin Cup campaign.
Meanwhile, Bart’s Chance transitioned to the kennels of Andrew Lasker, where his rapid development continued. Despite his younger age, he boasts 18 wins from 51 starts, accumulating over $79,000, showcasing a precocious talent.
Michael Hugo, now “getting out of dogs” due to his health (“I’m breaking down, and I just can’t keep up with things by myself”), reflects on the incredible impact greyhounds have had on his life. “They’ve done a lot for me. Without Jack and Lorraine, I’d be buggered. They have been a great help to me. Dogs have paid for everything I’ve got here. Not many people can say that about dogs. It’s the way you look after them and deal with things and what you use as a sire.” He’s given his brood bitches away in exchange for pups, with litters still being broken in, including pups from his beloved “Perfect Chance” and “Half A Chance” lines.
The road to Darwin’s Winnellie Park this year has been paved with exceptional performances from this trio. In the Darwin Cup heats on July 27, 2025, they each delivered stellar runs. Bull’s Chance won his heat impressively, clocking a time of 31.39 seconds over the 537m distance. Not to be outdone, his brother Ace’s Chance also saluted in his heat with the same winning time, a testament to their shared genetics and Graeme Ferns’ training prowess.
Bart’s Chance, representing the Lasker kennel, showed his class by finishing a strong second in his heat with a swift time of 31.26 seconds, securing his spot in the prestigious final.
Michael Hugo, ever the enthusiast, jokes, “I’m waiting on those blokes to have a bet and I’m hoping they will ring me up and fly me up to have a look, especially after what Ace has done for them.”
Trainer Jack Roy, looking at the upcoming final, offers his insights into the “Chance” dogs’ prospects. “All three of them are going well. They’ve always gone well with the dogs we send up there. They are generally the same blokes that buy them,” he observes.
He proudly notes the family’s success: “If you have a look at what they have had with the Chance dogs, they have won a lot of races up there.”
For the Darwin Cup itself, Roy shares his predictions: “In terms of their chances in the Cup, I’d say Ace has the best chance with even luck. Bull has got a lot of early pace. They are all good chasing dogs.” He vividly remembers their heat box draws: “He [Bull’s Chance] had Box two, and so did Ace. Bart had Box one, and he ran second.”
Roy, a seasoned expert, attributes consistent long-distance performance to fundamental principles: “Good training, good tucker and good breeding are how you get them to run long distances.” He takes pride in the physical stature of his charges, stating, “They are all good size. I don’t have any little ones. I’ve got a young one here now, he’s about 38kg, and he’s still learning.”
Reflecting on his illustrious career, Jack Roy shares anecdotes of past champions that highlight his deep connection to the sport. “I won two silver cups at Dapto with Big Blue Osti. He won quite a few at Wenty. He was a good dog.” He recalls the remarkable “Sole Sensation,” a greyhound who “Got five track records. She won the Chairman’s Cup at Wentworth Park over the 700.” Another memorable runner was “Hum Drum,” who had five starts over distance, and he won them all until he broke his leg at Canberra. He won over 700 at Wenty and won over 700 at Richmond.”
Perhaps his fondest memory is of “Lucky Ferrari”: “Probably one of the best dogs I’ve had was Lucky Ferrari. He won 14 at Wentworth Park. He was a good dog; he won the Richmond Derby, and he won the State of Origin heat and final. He won some good races, and then he went to America and stood at stud.”
At 86, Jack Roy acknowledges the inevitable passage of time: “I won’t be in it for much longer. I’m 86 in January. We are coming to the end of things. We’ve had a pretty good run; we can’t complain.”
Now, as the Northern Territory holds its breath for the Darwin Cup Final on August 4, these three “Chance” dogs stand ready. From their humble beginnings at Temora under Jack Roy’s enduring guidance, to their journeys and the strategic reunion of the littermates under Graeme Ferns, their stories converge on this one grand race. It’s a contest that promises not just speed and power, but a compelling narrative of lineage, dedication, and the remarkable success of the “Chance” line in Australian greyhound racing, a legacy built on the wisdom of veterans like Jack Roy and the passion of breeders like Michael Hugo.
– Tully Potts
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