Inductee to Hall of Fame 2025

Neville Henry Allison has been a leading contributor in all aspects of Tasmanian Greyhound Racing since the mid-1970’s. From owning ,training and breeding, to his dedication with all things Launceston Greyhound Racing Club, and forthright pursuit of what’s best for our sport with the ruling bodies such as Tasracing and Tote, Neville’s honest and stubborn persistence has shone like a beacon.

Neville was born in Latrobe on April 14, 1953, to parents Trevor and Faye. He has three sisters and two brothers, and the family moved to George Town in 1954. He lived there for 28 years and built a new house there when he married Vicki Laskey in 1976. They have a son Andrew and daughter Marcia, and grandchildren Sophie, Kate and Millie. Neville had no family roots in greyhounds. His mother’s father was legendary thoroughbred trainer Jack Stubbs, who along with younger brother Allan Stubbs are Hall of Famers. A young Neville would spend his holidays helping out at their Turners Beach stables and attending the gallop races.

Neville Allison worked as a tradesman for Comalco Aluminum at Bell Bay for nearly 39 years. He and Vicki bought a five-acre property just 33 kilometres from Bell Bay, down the East Tamar at Dilston in 1992, and have lived there ever since.

Before moving on to Neville’s initiation into greyhounds, his CYCLING deeds must be noted. I fact, if there were to be a Tasmanian Cycling Hall of Fame, Neville Allison would be an early inductee. As a junior and senior his deeds were elite. He won numerous State titles on both road and track. In 1970 he won the Australian Junior 5-mile track Title and was 2^nd in the Australian Junior 40-mile road race at Geelong. He was a member of the winning Australian Team Pursuit of 1973 and 1974 and was 2^nd on three more occasions. He was 2^nd in the Australian Pursuit Title of 1974 and 1976. Neville was twice second fastest in the Melbourne to Warrnambool Road Race and was a member of the winning Traralgon Team in the nine-day Herald Sun Tour of 1974. He was 4^th in four more Sun Tours and won all the major road races in Tasmania. Despite winning the Tasmanian Thousands of 1973 and 1984 on track, he much preferred road racing. Amazingly, he was an Australian Scratch rider on both track and road.

Despite thoroughbreds being Neville’s first love, he decided early on that they were too expensive. His best mate was Rodney Baker, nephew of highly successful and flamboyant George Town greyhound identity Jack Baker, and the pair bought a three-year-old maiden greyhound, namely Glenbow Lad in 1975. Initially trained by Rod, then Neville, this chaser belied his previous poor form and reached top grade, racing against the likes of Beaut Dina and Mystery Bridge. Neville purchased two pups by Ungwilla Lad from the highly regarded Victorian breeder Tony Duke in1980. One was a white and brindle bitch named Tasharco. She was Neville and Vicki’s first really smart performer and over all distances. She represented Tasmania in the Genevieve Cup for bitches at Olympic Park in 1983, after defeating Vance’s Image and Miss Coroneagh in the Tasmanian Final. Tasharco was also runner-up to Lygon Leader in the State Final of the National Distance at the Royal Showgrounds that same year. She was actually the first bitch that Neville bred with.

Another smart one followed, when Neville purchased two Chariot Supreme pups from Swan Hill in 1986. One was Lyn’s Chariot, a wonderful chaser - come superb brood bitch. Her 49 starts yielded 16 wins and 11 placings. She won the Heat and Final of the 1988 Tasmanian Oaks. She was a Gold Collar finalist after scoring in her Heat, and ran in Going National’s 1989 Launceston Cup Final after winning both her Heat and Semi. She further stamped her class in Melbourne with Sandown and Olympic Park sprint wins. It was Lyn’s Chariot that really proved to Neville Allison that he could breed top chasers, with great sprinters Dilston Prince and Classic John in her first litter. From then on, practically all his success prior to the great Nail ‘Em Fencer in the 2020’s (which he did rear) was with home bred dogs. Most would carry the now famous “Dilston” moniker.

Just prior to a deeper dive into the elite Allison chasers, Neville is emphatic that his great success was only made possible with the continued support of wife Vicki, and kids Andrew and Marcia. Within the wider greyhound industry, he rates legendary figures Keith Gillie and David Crosswell as having had the greatest influence on him.

 Not in any chronological order, these are finest dogs in a long list of successful Allison stars. Whilst not his best performed, Neville rates Dilston Heights his fastest chaser but his risky beginnings and awkwardness in company prevented him going further. Nevertheless, he won 16 races including the 2007 Country Derby at Devonport. Neville rates Dilston Prince as the greatest chaser he has bred. This white and fawn son of Amerigo Man - Lyn’s Chariot only had 15 starts in Tasmania for 9 wins and 3 seconds. Before his sale to the Mainland, he won the Heat, Semi-Final and Final of the 1992 Illingworth Classic. At career end Dilston Prince had raced 65 times for 32 wins and 19 placings. 

He won in five states and amassed over $85,000, which was highly impressive for the early 1990’s. He won the 1993 Queensland Cup at Beenleigh (later elevated to Group One status) after running 3^rd a year earlier. Prince also won the 1992 Country Championship at Wenty, and smashed the track record in winning the 1993 Muswellbrook Cup.

Dilston Diamond was clearly the best Allison bitch with 21 wins and 9 placings from just 34 starts. Diamond secured the 2005 Illingworth Classic (her litter brothers ran 2^nd and 3^rd), the 2005 Tasmanian Oaks and Country Oaks. She was also second in a Ladies Bracelet, Ministers Gift and Show Cup. This daughter of top producer Dilston Classic was also the 310 metre Track Record holder at White City, and reasonably successful at stud. A special mention must go to her dam Dilston Classic. She was an inspired purchase by Neville from the Dapto Puppy Auction as a 12-week-old pup. Her career was cut short with only one win from seven starts, but became a magnificent producer, including Dilston Heights (16 wins), Dilston Knight (15), Dilston Takeover (11), Dilston Tapp (11) and Dilston Jet (10).

Classic John, a December 1989 son of Amerigo Man – Lyn’s Chariot, was a superb chaser, winning 24 from 54 starts with 18 placings and was highly proficient on all tracks. A Heat, Semi and Final winner of the 1991 Devonport Breeders Classic, he won the 1992 Easter Cup and was 2^nd in the 1991Young Star Classic.

 Neville Allison won so many other feature races with his home-bred stars. Dilston Jet, cut down by injury after winning 10 from 22, won the 2004 Breeders Classic at Devonport and was 2^nd to his sister in the 2005 Illingworth. Dilston Tapp also won the 2005 Devonport Breeders and was runner-up in the Tasmanian Derby, whilst Dilston Knight was the 2005 Country Derby and Tasmanian Derby champion, besides 3^rd in a Minister’s Gift.

Nail ‘Em Fencer, affectionately known as “Bill”, was Neville’s most prolific winner and probably his most celebrated race dog. Owned by Kingsley Jarman, but reared and trained by Neville Allison, this black son of Aston Dee Bee – Hoity Toity had 85 starts for 36 wins, 20 2nds and 10 3rds, amassing $147,435 in earnings. Blessed with exceptional early speed, he was always contending in the top end races, and his clashes at Hobart with his great nemesis Rojo Diamond were so special. His key credits were the 2022 Illingworth Classic, 2022 Tasmanian Derby, 2023 Ivory Classic, and 2023 Tasmanian Gold Cup. He was runner-up in the2023 Launceston Cup Consolation, and 3^rd in an Easter Cup and Breeders Classic. He also reduced the Launceston 278 metre Track Record to 15.77 seconds in October ’23. Along with the afore mentioned Dilston Diamond, and Black Act at White City right back in 1995, this gave Neville three track record holders. 

Neville Allison credits as a Breeder and Trainer are quite remarkable considering the small numbers he always kept at any one time. Since 1988 he has had 1609 runners for 402 wins, and 477 placings. This strike right of 25% wins plus 29.6% minor placings, are in the elite bracket of strike rate for trainers.

 The contribution Neville Allison has made to Tasmanian greyhound racing clearly does not end with his racetrack commendations. The relentless work he has performed for both his beloved Launceston Greyhound Racing Club, and the Greyhound Industry Tasmania-wide should never be underestimated, nor forgotten. From the latter days of White City to Mowbray from 2005 onwards, Neville has served in excess of twenty years as an L.G.R.C. Committeeman, with various roles from Chairman to his current post of Treasurer. Since 2008, he has represented his Club with Greyhound Reference Group quarterly meetings, and other dealings with Tasmanian Tote before its sale, and with TasRacing. His volunteer work has extended to running the Trainers Bar on race nights for the past 15 years, and the run-on Wednesday morning trials as well. 

Greyhound racing in Tasmania has often been swimming against a powerful tide, and has always required strong, honest and uncompromising representation. In Neville Allison we have had just that. Allied to his magnificent contribution as a breeder, owner and trainer, he has truly earned his place in our Greyhound Hall of Fame.