Lieshouts into hall of fame
Local husband-and-wife team Eddie and Mary Lieshout were inducted into Greyhound Racing Victoria's Hall of Fame at the 2022 Victorian Greyhound Awards in Melbourne on Friday night.
The Drouin West couple, now octogenarians, are still active trainers.
The Lieshouts have enjoyed stellar careers as studmasters, breeders and trainers for more than half a century – some would say for an eternity.
In 2009, the Lieshouts' resilience was tested when their property was ravaged by the Black Saturday fires. But they've never been one to wave the white flag.
At the peak of their powers in the sport, the Lieshouts stood champion sire Shining Chariot, along with 1991 Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner Fox Hunt, at their famous Parumba Stud complex.
A stud icon, Shining Chariot (Jan '84 Chariot Supreme x Shining Light) won the Victorian Sires Premiership in 1993 (116.5 winners), 1994 (158.5) and 1995 115.5).
When Shining Chariot edged out his 'old man' – six-time winner Chariot Supreme (198792) – to win his first sires title in 1993, Lieshout said: "It's a real feather in his cap and one of my proudest moments in greyhound racing."
He was also a sensational sprinter, finishing runner-up in both the 1985 G1 Melbourne Cup and 1986 National Sprint Championship; third in the 1986 G1 Australian Cup; and a finalist in the 1985 G1 Silver Chief. In 1987, he dead heated for third in the 1987 G1 Australian Cup. Shining Chariot – trained for the majority of his career by the legendary 'Silver Fox', Ned Bryant – registered 40 wins and 28 placings from 82 starts and stakes of $80,000.
Shining Chariot died on March 12, 1996. He was humanely euthanised due to a sizeable malignant tumour spreading near his ribcage.
During the last couple of weeks of his life, the cancer resulted in Shining Chariot losing eight kilograms in body weight.
At the time, an emotional Eddie Lieshout, who purchased Shining Chariot from Nick Correale as a five-year-old for stud purposes, said: "'Shiny' was a true champion. He was as tough as teak and always had plenty of go in him.
“And he was just a natural at the stud caper." In a mark of respect, the Lieshouts buried Shining Chariot on their property.
Forever proactive, the Lieshouts also displayed great innovation by standing several imported sires including Woodland Citizen (Ireland), which created 'hybrid vigour' bloodlines in Australia.