By Duane Ranger (courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
The Greenbank couple responsible for the ‘Maywyn’ name in harness racing, notched up a unique win at Redcliffe Paceway on Wednesday (May 8)
Ipswich Greyhound Racing Club Administrator and former President, Rob Essex, and his wife of 53 years Pamelia, have used the Maywyn name since one of their best, the 2006 son of Village Jasper – Maywyn’s Jasper – surfaced in 2005. There are now 35 ‘Maywyn’s’ that have registered.
One of the 35 is two-times former Victorian pacer, Maywyn Bonton Boy, who notched up his fourth win in 13 starts, and second from five Queensland, in race two – the sixth heat of ‘Trot Rods 2024’.
But after dozens of ‘Maywyn victories, it was a first ‘Trot Rods’ triumph for the Logan City couple.
The brown Sportswriter gelding’s three other wins came at Redcliffe on March 28, when he won by 4.1 metres as the $1.30 hot favourite (mile rate: 1:58:9).
The talented 3-year-old also won with a 2:01.5-mile rate at Mildura on February 20, as well as a Vic-Bred Semi-final at Melton’s Tabcorp Park on September 9 where he recorded a personal best 1:56.7 mile-rate.
“Shane (Sanderson) used to play top level footy with my son Chris, who went on to play for the Melbourne Storm. He was my original trainer in Queensland until he moved down south a few years ago. This fella (Maywyn Bonton Boy) has been with our new trainers – Kelli Dawson and Shane Graham – since his first race here on March 22.
“I said Shane you keep him until he wins his futurities in Victoria and then I’ll bring him up to Queensland, and that’s exactly what we have done. Shane liked him, saying he had quite a bit of speed,” Essex said.
The Dawson trained and Graham driven Maywyn Bonton Boy drew two, and worked hard at both ends and hang on by half-a-neck.
His time of 947m mobile time of 65.1 was just 0.3 of a second slower than the quickest time in the series so far, which was set a week earlier by the Grant Dixon trained and driven duo of Blackjack Crippa and Air Express.
“It was a gutsy win. He (Maywyn Bonton Boy) showed some speed and tenacity all right. I did my homework with his breeding and I’m glad I bought him,” Essex said
The 73-year-old greyhound trainer and breeder, said he paid $16,000 for Maywyn Bonton Boy to Garry and Melva Graham at the 2022 APG Yearling Sale in Melbourne.
“I really liked his dam’s breeding. The cross was what I was looking for. Bonton Lady (2000 Armbro Operative mare) never got to the races, but her mother Miss Bonton (1990 Windshield Wiper mare) and grand-dam Miss Rafgan (1982 Batman mare) both won seven races.
“We also raced her second foal Maywyn Tonz (2006 Blissfull Hall gelding), who was one of the best horses we have had. He paced a 1:53.8 mile and won 18 of his 37 starts and more than $100,000 ($128,072). He won a Group Three and placed in a listed race.
“Bonton Lady has since left a brown Rock N Roll Heaven colt last November for the Grahams. That was her 17th foal since 2005. What a great old mare she has been!”
The broodmare’s best foals have been Maywyn Tonz, Strole Of Luck (2012 Major In Art mare – 17 wins & $256,196) and Maywyn A Jug Ortwo (2014 We Will See gelding – 16 wins and $66,075).
So where did this name ‘Maywyn’ derive from?
“My wife was watching a TV programme back in the early to mid-2000s which mentioned ‘Maywyn Lodge’ in the United Kingdom. She thought that would be a great name for a dog or horse, and the tag has stuck in all three codes racing since.
“We have raced thoroughbreds as well, so we have had a finger in all three pies. We have the three codes covered. I really enjoy the breeding side of harness racing and my horses haven’t come about via luck. I’ve done a lot of homework and Bonton Lady matched my breeding process perfectly,” Essex said.
The Essex’s have been standardbreds since 2000 and been breeding them since 2005.
“Early on we had a nice pacer named Maywyn Jasper (2006 Village Jasper gelding) who recorded a 1:52.7 mile-rate and won 11 races and almost $100,000. We bought him from the Melbourne APG Sale as well. He is also right up there as one of the best we have owned,” said Essex.
Essex was in Toowoomba, and educated at Harristown State High School. His father died when he was 12 and his love of horses and animals came early in life when he went to live with his Aunt and Uncle (Jill and Ralph Essex) on their Cattle Station in 1963 and returned to Toowoomba in 1969.
“I lived out west with them and they had horses. My cousin there was actually an amateur jockey. When I came back to town I worked in the butchery trade, branching into technical products in the meat industry. I owned Myosyn Industries, up until my retirement 20 years ago,” Essex said.
But Essex is best known for his roles both on and off the greyhound track. He left the sport for a decade to help his wife raise his family, but has been full-on since the late 1980s.
“We used to race at Lawnton, Tweed Heads, Toowoomba, Beenleigh, Grafton, Lismore, and the Gold Coast, but all of those tracks closed down. It was about then I thought was the time for a new voice at committee level. I was Ipswich President from 2009 to 2014, and am currently Deputy Chairman Of ‘The Q’ (Queensland Greyhound Racing Club),” Essex said.
He explained The Q was the formation of the Ipswich and Albion Park Clubs, who will unite as one club at their new state-of-the art track at Yamanto, near Purga. Racing at the new venue is expected early next year. All-up there will be three tracks – u-bend, a straight line, and two-turn tracks.
In summary Essex paid a tribute to Dawson and Graham for the way they had prepared Maywyn Bonton Boy to Trot Rods victory.
“They do a good job and this fella is only three so hopefully he will get better. He seems to have thrived since he got up here. I bought a Vincent filly for a great price – $9,000 – at the Melbourne Sales and I’ve got another couple from the Gold Coast Sale, so hopefully there will be more winners to come,” Essex said.
“I paid $13,000 for a Gold Coast Downbytheseaside – Our Better Dancer filly. I just love breeding. When I get the catalogue I can spend months studying the pedigrees,” he added
For record: Essex is one if Ipswich’s leading trainers. He works 44 dogs on 10 acres (four hectares) at Greenbank. His best dog was Jungle Magic. As for Greenbank – that is rural residential suburb in the City of Logan, It boasts a population of 7,694, and is 42km south of Brisbane.
