Ella Cole makes Australian move
Peter Fenemor • March 24th, 2025 1:05 PM • 4 min read
Ella Cole makes Australian move
Enough is enough, and with the New Zealand Government imposed greyhound racing ban looming, it has prompted the hard working, talented young greyhound industry participant Ella Cole to make a life changing move across the Tasman.
The 22 year-old flies to Melbourne later this week where she will link up with a friend of her parents John Galea who is currently setting up a new greyhound training base in Bacchus Marsh, 50kms west of Melbourne.
Cole’s departure will leave a massive hole in the hugely successful racing operation run by her parents Lisa and Brendon.
“It is so unfair on how greyhound racing is treated in New Zealand. I’m extremely disappointed and gutted that I’m forced to leave home to remain with greyhounds.
“Why do I have pack up everything and leave my parents?” queried Cole.
Ella Cole doesn’t hesitate to put in the long, hard yards and she has been an integral part of her parents’ successes over many years.
Frequently she undertakes the long road journeys to handle her parents’ greyhounds at venues like the Addington Raceway, Manukau Stadium and the Cambridge Raceway.
And at the conclusion of those meetings she packs up and immediately starts the long drive back to her parents Palmerston North based kennels.
It has been normal for Cole to leave an Addington Thursday night meeting, drive up to Picton, take a night ferry sailing, drive back to Palmerston North and then handle greyhounds at Friday evening Hatrick Raceway meetings.
“Ella is broken. She’s exhausted when she gets home. Look at last week, she got back here at 3.30am (from Cambridge) and then she’s up working with dogs first thing in the morning.
“Ella always has nothing but absolute love and passion for greyhounds, however the issues that we are faced with here has eaten her out.
“She won’t know herself across there in Victoria with short travel times to race venues. Aussie is definitely the place to be and she has the skills and knowledge to make a success of it for herself over there,” advised dad Brendon Cole.
Cole added, “There’s no pathway forward for young people in New Zealand. There’s no stepping stones available to move forward. Look we’ve had the best of the best here, yet we continue to struggle in areas like using our locally bred stud dogs – look at what Big Time Paddy has sired for us, yet there has been limited outside inquiries to use him. .
“In Aussie they have full time professionals to rear and break in greyhounds in. They provide catchers for their races and trials. All the trainers have to do over there is to trained, maintain and race the greyhounds they have in their kennels.
“It’s devastating from out our point of view losing such a valued and knowable worker like Ella. We now have to wind down our training operation.”
Ella Cole reflects on her decision to move across the Tasman.
“I have grown up with greyhounds and I love them to bits. They are so kind, generous dogs who will always respond to the tender loving care all of us give to our greyhounds.
“The hoops my parents and other trainers have been put through over recent years has been so rigorous. Greyhounds are the most looked after dogs in the country
“All of us have done everything that has been asked of us and yet that hasn’t been good enough for the decision makers who have no idea what we have done and continue to do to enrich the lives of our greyhounds.
“Why don’t these faceless people come and look what we have done? Why don’t they come to the tracks and see for themselves the procedures that are in place to protect them?
“It is ridiculous the outrageous statements and accusations that has been leveled at the sport,” an emotional Cole explained.
“Here I’m stuffed and stressed out all the time, working all day, every day.
“It’s all the frustrations I’ve seen my parents going through, flogging their guts out over the years just to stay in the sport. I don’t want to go through all of that,” expressed Cole.
And so the brain drain across the Tasman continues!
At 22 years of age Ella Cole has so much to offer this country, yet she has been forced to leave her country to pursue her life passion.
This country needs tireless, hardworking, ethical young ladies like Ella Cole!
Thank you Ella for everything you have done for the greyhound industry and the New Zealand greyhound community wishes you all the very best for your future endeavours across the Tasman.
Pawnote: We asked Ella Cole about who she rates as the best greyhounds she has handled.
“Federal Infrared ($400,808 NZ record stakes) and He’s All Go are the best greyhounds I have handled on race-day.
“I never handled Hifi Allegro (88 wins from 135 races) on the track, however I did a lot of work with her at home. She was awesome.”
Picture at the Top of the Page: Ella Cole seen here with Federal Infrared who she rates as one of the best greyhounds she has handled. Photo: Supplied
