By Marcus Uhe
The Sandown Greyhound Racing Club is mourning the death of former director Ray Byron, who passed away on Monday 27 December aged 95.
Byron was Sandown’s longest living life member and was elected to the Board as a director in 1980, serving until retired from the position in 1998.
He was awarded life membership in 1995, having first joined the club in the 1960s. He began training greyhounds in 1958 with revered greyhound breeder Paul Hogan, before he started operating on his own between the 1960s and until the late 1990s.
Prior to his association at Sandown, Byron worked at the former Napier Park Greyhound Track in Melbourne’s north, where he cleaned the catching pen.
His top-performing dogs included 1980 Sandown National Distance Final winner All Promise, and Welcome Girl.
Chairman of Sandown Greyhounds Neil Brown described ‘Biro’, as he was affectionately known, as a “larger-than-life character”.
“It was for me a privilege to have known Ray after becoming great friends in the early 1980’s,” Mr Brown said.
“He was a wonderful family man, extremely good company and had a profound knowledge of our sport.”
“He could be a funny man, loved a bet and people of all walks of life.”
“On behalf of the Sandown Club we send our condolences to Joan and Ray’s extended family, we will miss him.”
A funeral for Mr Byron will be held at Sandown Greyhounds on Wednesday 5 January at 2.30pm. All attendees are required to be fully vaccinated.
