Barry Ward never contemplated the thought that he would become a greyhound breeder. He had delved into horse racing ownership, then found his way into the dogs. But now, he part-owns one of the most successful broodbitches, and is thoroughly enjoying a different side of sport.

Ward, who played professional rugby league in the 1990s and 2000s predominantly with Canterbury and then St Helens in England, part-owns Solar Pak, whose record post her racing career is astonishing.

“I was into the horses, then a mate of mine years back, he had a dog - Adris Echo - she won the big (Auction) race at Dapto,” Ward explained. “She went to Bombastic Shiraz and I bought a pup - Bustling Shiraz - and he ended up winning $20,000 and won at Wenty Park, and that got us addicted to it.

“We had a good ride so we kept buying more and more. My mate Mark Walden (who part-owns Solar Pak) is really close with Chris O’Brien, and once Tifi had some pups, we got in there and bought Glama Pak and Stiff Arm out of the Where’s Pedro litter, and then we just get buying through.

“The next litter - to Mogambo - Solar Pak came along … and the rest is history.”

Solar Pak raced 29 times for eight wins and eight placings, but her real worth would be post-racing.

A mating with Fernando Bale in 2015 produced a litter 10 pups – six dogs and four bitches. All 10 have raced, and all 10 have won, seven of them in the city.

And between the 10 - Little Digger (23), Nino De Oro (14), Zagati (12), Twenty Tamar (11), Off The Leash (10), Phoenix Pak (9), Manila Kampyon (8), Latitude Zero (8), Franky Pak (6) and Pixel Pak (6), they have won a staggering 107 races.

“It’s been outstanding, it’s been amazing, every one of them has won … a lot of city wins as well,” Ward said. “And she throws even litters (with similar ability) which is really good. They have all won, and in the next litter – she had 11 pups to Collision – and of those who have raced, there is only one which hasn’t won yet … Inversion, and we own it.

“We also had the slowest two out of the first litter - Pixel Pak and Latitude Zero, which ran second again last night,” he joked.

“We keep at least one, sometimes two from each litter. We kept a bitch from the first litter, and we’ve kept a bitch from her latest litter to Barcia Bale, which get broken in very soon.

“I actually got a phone call this morning and Solar Pak has just come on season, so she is ready to go away next week to get served again for her last litter. She’s going to Bella Infrared, so that will give us a good American outcross. We were lucky to get a straw.

“With Pixel Pak, we have bought an Aston Dee Bee straw for her and we have the bitch from the Barcia Bale litter, and hopefully we will get one from the next litter. We’re just trying to keep the line going and setting up for the future.”

Ward said both he and Walden follow the fortunes of all of Solar Pak’s progeny, and often are at the track supporting them.

“Yes we keep track of every one of them, because if they go well, then it’s good for us from a breeding perspective. We’ve already had a lot of interest in the next litter,” Ward said.

“But it’s good to get out there and see a lovely couple like Lindsay and Ellen Nichol, good people, who have Littler Digger and Zugati, and now they have Feral Franky and Freaky Franky. They have been in the sport for so many years and now they are having great success and with dogs we bred.

“That’s great.”

Both Feral Franky and Freaky Franky will contest Saturday night’s heats of the Group 2 Cyril Rowe Bulli Gold Cup. Littermate Solar Sky will also race at the meeting, as will Little Digger (pictured), while the Ward and Walden-owned Inversion is drawn as the reserve in the opening event, hoping to gain a run, and break his maiden status.