Inductee to Hall of Fame 2025
Black bitch, whelped February 1965, (Lucky Bingo – Nimble Jet)
Owned and Trained by Eileen Johnston (Devonport)
George and Eileen Johnston were icons of every aspect of greyhound racing in Tasmania and were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009. For greater perspective, one should probably read again the deeds of this famous duo from their induction article on the Tasmanian Greyhound Hall of Fame website. For now, we highlight their finest chaser, and 2025 Inductee, Fenton Girl, a brilliant, tough and durable star through 1967 to 1969. She would back up her racing deeds, in becoming one of our more memorable brood bitches.
When the Johnston’s moved from Deloraine to 96 Fenton Street, Devonport in 1965, a property with two acres, they brought with them a newly whelped litter of five. They had previously bred a litter from Nimble Jet, sold to them by great friend and top hand, Ray Bounds. She was a litter sister to his champion Australian Cup winner Meadow Vale. That mating to Lucky Bingo, had produced a star sprinter for the Johnstons in 22-time winner Lucky Concession. Nimble Jet’s second mating produced five pups to the same sire. It would not only include Fenton Girl, but indeed one of Tasmania’s greatest litters ,with combined wins of nearly 120 races.
The deeds of these siblings are best found in the same Johnston 2009 Hall of Fame article. It included Fiery Bob (27 wins and the 1967 Hobart Thousand), Rambling Jet (27 wins and runner-up in both a Launceston and Devonport Cup), Little Foo (6 Tasmanian wins before her sale, with success to N.S.W.) and Fenton Boy, the H.G.R.C. Hurdler of the Year for 1967.
This tough and tenacious champion Fenton Girl, had 106 race starts for 42 wins, 16 seconds and 16 thirds. She raced for a 30-month period between July 1966 and December 1968, missing racing in only August 1966 and December 1967. Her entire career record is posted on her Hall of Fame Website article. Without going through run by run here, her great deeds will be broken into the segments of Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Interstate and Handicap appearances (something foreign in today’s racing).
Fenton Girl was a cracker at the T.C.A. in Hobart with 13 wins, 5 seconds and 5 thirds from 32 tries. She won her first four there, including a Trial Stakes Heat and Final, and the prestigious 1966 Puppy Championship of Tasmania. As a Grade 4 dog, she won her 1967 Hobart Thousand Heat by a length from the 1966 Hobart Thousand winner Ipswich Low. She nearly ran down that same great chaser when a ½ length 2nd in the Sprint Championship of Tasmania. Her first 685-yard start was a victory in the feature Glenorchy Stakes Heat in a quick 38 2/10s over Sturdy Stephen. She won a H.G.R.C. Stake in 29 5/10s, just 2/10s outside the record. In her 1967 Show Stakes Heat win, and then Final victory ,she left her Hobart Thousand winning brother Fiery Bob 2 ¼ lengths behind in second spot.
Fenton Girl’s second crack at a Hobart Thousand in 1968 saw her 2nd in the Heat and 4th in the Semi behind the champion NS.W. St Leger winning Another Glitter. Fenton Girl’s 37th win over Flash O’ Thunder, and her 41st win over Track Record holder Proud Knight were both off a 1/10th handicap. Her 1968 Show Cup Heat 2nd and Semi Final 3rd were both off 2/10th behind scratch, as was her Hobart 2nd at start number 104 behind Sam Bracken’s top notcher in Mike Dillon.
The ”Girl” started 42 times at White City in Launceston, for 15 wins, 5 seconds and 7 thirds. Her first two 548-yard starts were a Sturges Memorial Heat and Semi win. Her Ken Thompson Cup heat and Final win saw star bitch Top Moorleah 3 lengths away in second. After winning her 1967 Easter Cup Heat, she was 2nd to her great litter sister Rambling Jet in the Final.
She powered home late in winning the 1967 Ladies Bracelet and was a creditable 4th in both Heat and Final of the 785-yard Northern Tasmanian Distance Championship to the near invincible Noel Butters stayer Clayton Princess.
In 19 of her White City races she was handicapped to give a start of 1 or 2 yards.
It’s with such credit that 4 of her top grade wins here were off a 1-yard handicap, including her 1968 Launceston Cup Consolation Heat and Semi victories. Even more impressive is that she twice won from 2 yards behind scratch, and even at her final race she was forced to give a 2-yard start.
Fenton Girl was amazing at her home track of Devonport, which only raced for 8 months a year back then due to a winter break. In these 16 starts, she posted 10 wins, 2 seconds and 2 thirds. She won 9 of her first 10 starts at home, including her 1967 Devonport Cup Heat. In 1968 she again won her Devonport Cup Heat , was 2nd to fellow Hall of Famer Black Tuesday in the Semi and was 3rd in that great Final behind Black Tuesday and her litter sister Rambling Jet. The winner was only 1/16th of a second from equaling the track record. In her six length November 8, 1967, victory, when giving two yards start, Fenton Girl equalled the Handicap Track Record of 24 4/16s.
Handicaps also beset her at the Coastal venue. In four successive wins from late 1967 to 1968, she won giving a start of 1 yard, then 2 yards, then 3 yards and 4 yards. When forced to concede 5 yards start, she ran a bold 3rd to Polly’s Peter, beaten just a neck by half-length. Even at her penultimate race start, number 105, she was 4th to Vic Barrow’s great sprinter Pavalla, conceding the same 5 yards. Indeed, 32 times in her career, Fenton Girl started off handicap. Of these, she still won 10 with 4 seconds and 6 thirds. This is indeed an astonishing effort.
In three separate trips across the water, Fenton Girl had 14 Interstate starts, yielding 4 wins, 4 seconds and 2 thirds. In February 1967 she ran 3rd in an Australian Cup Heat over 560 yards at Olympic Park, before a Semi Final 7th. Fenton Girl spent August – September 1968 in Sydney and raced 9 times. Apart from a 1st and 2nd over 555 yards at Dapto, she won and was 4th over 580 yards at Wentworth Park.
Her five starts over the famous Harold Park 500 yards, yielded 2 wins and 2 seconds. At 38 months of age ,Fenton Girl ventured back to Sydney for five more tries. Despite not winning, she ran 2nd at Cessnock, 3rd over 675 yards at Bulli, and showed her resilience when 4th over the grueling 790 yards at Wentworth Park.
In Fenton Girl’s 106th and final race start, she ran only 8th at White City. But a testament to her greatness was the fact that she was still handicapped from two yards behind and was the even money favourite.
Her track credits were many and varied and she was honoured as the 1966-67 Tasmanian Greyhound of the Year. But her fame was to continue.
Fenton Girl would have five litters between April 1969 and July 1975, to Head Teacher (twice),the great Irish import Newmore King, Jetrock Lad and Silent Wonder. Her initial Head Teacher litter threw the mighty Fenton Doll.
A 22-time winner, including the Puppy Championship of Tasmania and the Coastal Track Championship, she was the 1971 Devonport G.O.Y. Fenton Flash, also from this litter was a Nelson Cup winner, and won her Heat and Semi of the 1972 Hobart Thousand, before 3rd in the Devonport Cup.
Our “Girl” produced so many other stars including the 1975 Maiden Thousand winner Aberdeen Jet, Flabbergast, Rockin’ Gold, Master Monaro, Fenton Black and Fenton Wonder. Many of her daughters continued to produce high quality chasers for over a decade or more, none more so than her best daughter Fenton Doll. The latter, threw one of the great litters of the 1970’s to Newmore King. It included Devon George (Devonport Cup winner), Fenton Gold (Sturges Memorial and Devonport Puppy Championship), Lerobarian (2nd in Devonport and Gold Cups), New Dollfen and others. Subsequently, she also produced the 1979 State Distance champion Quiet Doll, star chaser and producer Fenton Patchy, and Miss Top Notch (Launceston Cup 3rd).
The champion that was Fenton Girl not only left her indelible mark on the racetrack, but in the Australian Greyhound Stud Book as well. A most fitting Hall of Famer as matter of fact.
View Fenton Girl career record
By Greg Fahey