Floyd's Column: What makes a great trainer?

Congratulations to Liverpool on winning the Premier League for the first time in five years.  

Oh to hell with that. I don’t do fake sincerity! 🤢 

Now I know the boss is a typical Southern Scouser, but let’s get this landmark into some sort of perspective. 

In the same period, Mark Wallis has been Champion Trainer four times and will be unbackable to make it five in a row this year. 

He was champion in 11 of the last 12 years. 14 times a champion in total. 

In history, closest to him, tied on six wins each are: Linda Mullins and John McGee while fellow living legend Charlie Lister has four. 

When it comes to the English Derby, Mark (only) has two winning jackets: Blonde Snapper and Kinda Ready, compared to Charlie’s seven, Lesley Reynolds’ five and Nick Savva’s four. 

The reality is, both the Wallis winners were ‘punching’. Snapper (8/1) was more suited to the Romford 400 than the Wimbledon 480 and won the big one after recovering from a broken wrist. 

Kinda Ready simply produced his ‘A game’ for the final but his winning time (28.65) identical to Snapper’s, and SP (25/1) was a reflection of his overall ability. 

But there is more to Mark Wallis than Derby and Trainers Championship wins. There are five St.Legers, a feat only equalled by the great Jack Harvey. A couple of English Oaks and enough Romford Cat One jackets to decorate a mansion. 

If Mark Wallis was a footballer, he wouldn’t be Mo Salah, he’d be Lionel Messi. 

As someone who has been blessed to study, know, and be on first name terms with some of the greatest trainers of the last 50 years, I can confidently state that Mark Wallis is well and truly in that mix. 

But what is it that makes a great greyhound trainer? 

Among the attributes, I would personally list the following: 

1 – Hard work. All the great trainers that I have studied are absolute grafters. They are, or have been, utterly committed to their careers.  

But that isn’t a ‘given’ among all trainers. In fact, years ago, it was accepted, if never actually stated, that the head lad or head girl were the hardest workers in the kennel. Once they became trainers, they took on more of a PR role.  

That was never the case with Mark. Having interviewed him many dozens of times, I knew that the one time when he was guaranteed to be available was at around 9pm. Better still, 9pm on the night before a big final and he would be massaging and stretching his runner after everyone else had gone home.  

With his phone wedged under his chin, he patiently discussed the chances of his runners and in cases where he had two or three in the final (often), we might still be talking an hour later. 

2 – Attention to detail. This would cover everything from the daily schedule, to assessing every runner in the kennel, all the way through to selecting the right staff. Nobody ever won a Trainers Championship without a top support team.  

That was some team assembled by Linda Jones, with Mark as her head lad backed up by Patrick Janssens! 

Anybody who has ever worked with greyhounds understands that they are absolute creatures of habit. Any change in routine can throw them off. Maintaining a strict regime is vital. 

Conversely, they might also require individual attention. That might relate to their exercise requirements, diet, or even their kennelmate. 

A good trainer can spot when something isn’t quite right with his/her dogs. It might be that they were a bit sluggish to get off their bed, that their stride is slightly out, or just the general demeanour in exercising or eating. 

3 – Judgement. This partially overlaps with ‘attention to detail’ but goes further. 

A starting point might be the acquisition of a new dog. Trainers cannot afford to waste owners’ cash on bad investments but acquiring a new dog requires a balancing of different data points. 

How good was the dog’s last race, within only partial interest in times, but bearing in mind the track condition and level of opposition? How experienced is the dog likely to be, bearing in mind its official form might be very misleading? How sound is it? What about its running style? Is the pricing reasonable? How capable is the dog’s former trainer? 

A trainer’s chances of being successful is acquiring the ‘right’ dogs – and experience has shown that they aren’t always the most expensive. 

One of the best lines I have heard comes from Mark’s former headman and long time friend, Patrick Janssens. 

When a top Irish trainer phones to offer him a dog, Patrick’s usual response is: 

‘I’m more interested in the dogs that you don’t want to sell me.’ 

The obvious overlap with ‘attention to detail’ includes racing assessment once said racer is in the kennel. 

Did he race or trial according to form? 

There is no room for unjustified excuses. Conversely, how accurate was the going allowance, particularly for the part of the track that the dog was running over? 

Is he carrying a niggle? 

What is the dog’s real level of ability against hounds of roughly similar class? 

I can think of only one top handler, who I won’t name, who appeared so sure of his own ability, that he thought his dogs were practically invincible. 

The great trainers don’t think their geese are swans and place them accordingly in races or comeptitions that they can win. 

They assess racing styles, seeding, track types and distances with a clinical eye and that includes noticing faults. 

Does or doesn’t run a track first time? Only wants to overtake on one side. Won’t perform if he doesn’t get things his own way? 

4 – The affinity. There is another ability that is so obscure as to sound a bit wacky. It is the connection that the successful trainers are able to make with their dogs. 

There is a kind of telepathy that only some people possess. It is an ability to bond with an animal that thus far cannot be detected or analysed. 

But I KNOW it to be a thing. 

Nobody can become a top handler without that connection, in my view. 

5 – Temperament. Not to be confused with personality. Trainers come with a wide range of temperaments, from the cocky and confident to the shy and introvert. 

However, the thing that separates the truly successful ones from those who talk a good game – but have won fewer trophies than Spurs – is ‘the will to win’. 

To meet Mark Wallis, you wouldn’t know that he is a champion in his own right. He is quiet and unassuming. Quite humble. 

But the man I know gets through his day on a combination of nicotine and adrenaline and is the ultimate competitor. He loves the challenge and thrives on competition. 

Ask him for his favourite moments in the sport and he will often reflect on his battles with Charlie Lister. There is a huge mutual respect between the two. 

In addition – the guy who plays poker in his spare time, is also extremely calm and measured. 

While some trainers can’t cope with the stress when the pressure is on, Mark seems to thrive on it. 

Always worth remembering if you are a punter. While he can’t win every final, you would seldom see a Wallis hound fail to deliver their best possible performance. 

It was 20 years ago, on April 16, when Mark won his first competition as a trainer, the Peterborough Puppy Derby with Fear No One. 

He is now honing in, personally, on 100 Category One successes. The kennel won another 13 when Linda had the licence. 

No, he’s not there yet. He is on 95 but has already won four this year. 

But that is the point. When the track stars, who are only around for roughly two years, are approaching these major landmarks, there is a build up and acknowledgement worthy of the accomplishment. 

Doesn’t an outstanding trainer deserve something similar?