Placard A Poster For Hill's Greyhound Passion

"You couldn't get a better bloke to train for."

That was Ray King's simple and heartfelt tribute to Terry Hill after the rugby league cult hero and passionate greyhound owner and ambassador tragically passed away this week, aged just 52.

Hill raced a number of top class greyhounds right up until his untimely death, but first and foremost was Placard, which was guided to stardom by King and wife Ruth.

Coleman: The Intro To Terry Hill I'll Never Forget

Launching Hill into the greyhound racing spotlight, Placard was a dual Group 1 winner of the National Sprint Championship and Topgun in 2000, with the G2 Queensland Derby also prominent on his resume.

Ray King praised Hill as an "unbelievable" owner, while fondly remembering his generous nature and wonderful promotion of the Kings' home track of Dapto during the halcyon days of Channel 9's The Footy Show.

"Terry was larger than life; it's unbelievable he's gone," King said.

"He came with me everywhere we went with Placard, He came down to Tassie with us when we won the National Sprint.

"And did Terry celebrate – celebrate was the word for it!

"Terry was great for Dapto. The way he promoted Dapto on the Footy Show with ‘Fatty' Vautin was very good.

"He was only down at Dapto a month ago doing a promotion for Ladbrokes. I hadn't seen him for about a year, so I went down to see him but just missed him.

"Terry was always doing things for other people. 

"When he passed away he was over in the Philippines raising funds for an orphanage. He did those sorts of things all the time."

By his own very excitable standards, Hill was jubilant – but never lost for words – when Placard (Malawi's Prince x Gem's Delight) careered away with the National Sprint Championship at Launceston.

"The greatest thrill in greyhound racing I've ever had," he said in a post-race interview.

Three starts later, Placard finished his career in a blaze of glory in the Topgun, leaving no fewer than three Melbourne Cup winners – fierce rival Go Wild Teddy, Kantarn Bale and Classic Capri – in his wake.

"Terry bought Placard as a pup on the recommendation of Jimmy Coleman," King recalled.

"Jimmy was semi-retired, so Terry got us to train him.

"We won a few races and then he won the NSW final of the Nationals and went down to Tassie and won the final. 

"Then he won the Topgun and after that he was sold to stud for $600,000. He only had 20 starts.

"The National Sprint and Topgun were both great wins. But the Topgun is the best of the best.

"Placard ran second to Go Wild Teddy in the Shootout and then we beat him in the Topgun.

"They used to meet each other a fair bit. I remember Mark Bell (Go Wild Teddy's trainer) saying Placard had a look when he beat Go Wild Teddy and I said ‘He looked at him to tell him good bye!" King laughed.

Placard wasn't the only high class sprinter the Kings trained for Hill, being followed by two notable relations; Placard's daughter Taylah Ruth and Mrs. King, a younger half-sister to Placard.

"Taylah Ruth was named after Terry's daughter and Alan Jones and Wayne Beavis (prominent rugby league player agent) were in the ownership with him," King explained.

"Mrs. King broke the 400m record at Bulli and she won the Galaxy Consolation at Tweed Heads."

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