Polly Thurkettle with Sugar Man.
Polly Thurkettle hung up the boots many years ago, after establishing a reputation as a feared competitor on both League and Union fields. He has for the last 20 years dabbled in greyhounds in what can only be described as a success. The former fencer has been having plenty of success lately with a dog called Sugar Man. Polly was far from sweet on the field, however, Sugar Man is continuing on a legacy which started two decades ago. Sugar man is out of one of Polly’s best bitches in Irish Marina by Cape Hawke.
Polly likes to breed his own dogs. He has won over a number of distances from the out and out sprint of 330 metres to the longer 520 metre format where he has collected 3 wins. At just 3 years of age Sugar Man has racked up 19 wins, 17 ends and 13 3rds. Greyhound racing can be a sport where there are enormous differences in prize money depending on where you race. Sugar Man collected $300 for winning his maiden at Temora in July 2015 before collected the very tidy sum of $3,168 for first place at Wentworth Park in June 2016. In his last 3 starts he has recorded a win, a 2nd placing and also come in 5th. However, he certainly puts a smile on Polly’s face whenever he runs.
When visiting Polly, you can tell he loves his greyhounds by the way he speaks about them. He knows their pedigree, knows what to feed them and knows how to care for them. It has been 20 years since he first started in the sport and he enjoys the win as much now as he did then. He said, “It’s the thrill of the win, its a good interest and you get to travel all over New South Wales. You have to feed the dogs really well to build muscle and keep them happy. They thrive on good food.” Polly’s interest in the sport continues as a breeder owner and trainer. He is currently training some rather large puppies and preparing them to race. Some of the litter are for sale.
One bitch who doesn’t look like she will be going anywhere is Irish Marina. The 8 year old is the mother to Sugar Man and was a top quality bitch in her own right. She won over $36,000 in her career and claimed 15 wins and 26 places from 82 starts. If you bet each way on her for her entire career you would have been heading back to the bookies to collect every 2nd time you laid a bet. Although Polly’s dogs take up plenty of his time, it hasn’t stopped him from fencing, at least in a very different way. He makes garden ornaments from some of the barb wire he has collected over the decades spent in the fencing game. He also constructs australiana artwork from the wire and has an impressive kangaroo standing in his yard. Polly sells some of the art to people who want it or request it from him. “It turns waste into something and they are easy to do,” he said. Keep an eye out for Sugar Man and Polly’s other runners as he continues to show them how its done in the city and the bush.
