Inductee 2017: Keith Harding
3 March, 2017
Hall of Fame
The Ultimate Conditioner
Prominent greyhound trainer Keith Harding is one of the most highly respected conditioners to ever pick up the collar and lead in Western Australia. Renowned as a specialist in training greyhounds to chase over the longest trips, Keith trained three notable stayers in Afro Freeway (2010 WA Hall of Fame Inductee), Capobianca and Elektra who all went on to receive WA’s highest accolade, the WA Greyhound of the Year.
Between them, those greyhounds won nine of WA’s major feature events, with Harding himself training two Group 1 winners (Afro Freeway and Elektra in the Galaxy), a Group 2 winner (Capobianca in the WA Oaks) and two Group 3 winners.
Afro Freeway, owned and trained by Harding, long held the West Australian record for the most consecutive wins at fourteen, only to be outdone by the champion, and fellow WA Racing Hall of Fame Inductee Miata, in 2012. The dog was notably never unplaced in a staying race throughout his career.
When the 2008 WA Greyhound of the Year Elektra was brought out of retirement to be transferred to Harding’s care she won the Group 1 Galaxy, her owner Philip Lenehan remarked that the win was the highlight of her career for him. “Jill” as she is fondly remembered by her kennel name, became and remains one of Australia’s top career prizemoney earning greyhounds.
Harding also won major feature events such as the Paradise Street Trophy three times, the Distance Gift twice and the WA Distance Championship once, with Capobianca then representing WA in the 1991 Nationals in Brisbane.
More recently, Group 1 WA Galaxy winner of 2016 Seeking Justice was entrusted into Harding’s care for his foray into the WA feature races, his trainer Jimmy Auld noting that Harding as a trusted mentor and associate was the best trainer for the job and his judgement paid off, giving the dog his biggest race win of his career.
A well-respected mentor, his daughter Jodie is a successful trainer in her own right with feature race wins and WA Greyhound of the Year winners under her belt.
FEATURE EVENT WINNERS
- Afro Freeway
- Capobianca
- Elektra
- Seeking Justice
- Barney Stinson
- Freeway Ace
- Lady Shy
- Living Image
- Side Walk
WA GREYHOUND OF THE YEAR WINNERS
- 1983 Afro Freeway
- 1991 Capobianca
- 2008 Elektra