John Finn, one of the greatest trainers Australian greyhound racing has seen, passed away on Monday morning, aged 81.
"He died in my arms,'' his widow Melinda said.
John Finn had endured a long battle with illness but earlier this year, after medical staff advised his family he needed to go into palliative care, wife Melinda said: "No he won't, he'll be coming home with me.''
Melinda Finn had nursed John at their Cranebrook home for the past several months, and while their greyhounds have continued to be wildly successful, they were taken to the races and handled by Melinda's son Todd Barnes and his wife Courtney.
Marty Hallinan, NSW's most successful owner-breeder, paid tribute to John Finn, commenting: "He was a straight shooter and I don't think he ever told a lie in his life.
"He was one of the best trainers of all time and he really knew how to win a big race.
"John would plan way ahead to ensure his dogs were at their peak on the night of big finals.
"He and Melinda have only been training for me for the past four or five years, and it is a measure of their integrity that they did not ask me to train for them any sooner.
"When they expressed an interest in taking some of my greyhounds, they first discussed whether they could approach me with other trainers who already had my greyhounds in their kennels.
"I know for a fact they spoke to successful trainers who had my dogs in their care but sought their approval before approaching me.
"They said they were keen to get some of my Zipping-prefix greyhounds but did not want to upset anyone.
"I only wish they had approached me 10 or 15 years ago.
"John and Melinda have always had the right attitude because whenever their dogs were beaten, they didn't go into hibernation, they immediately started planning their next races.
"And they have always been able to keep their dogs competing and in sound condition because most of their greyhounds are able to have 60 or 70 starts.
"John also had an extraordinary eye for being able to select a potential breeding star.
"When I retired a bitch called Zipping Dharma, who was only ordinary, won only seven races, and was flat out running 520m, he told me he would dearly love to get a pup or two out of her.
"I was amazed because I wasn't over-excited at her breeding potential but John was 100 percent correct because she produced Zipping Orlando, who was trained by John and Melinda and who has become a top class all distance performer.''
John Finn was training big race winners long before he teamed up with Marty Hallinan, as he won the 1985 National Derby and Richmond Derby double with Rapid Supreme along with another star of that period, History Lesson, who became a successful stud dog.
He also trained Jessica Casey to win the 1991 National Sprint Championship and Ladies Bracelet as well as the 1992 Golden Easter Egg.
Winsome Dollars won the 2001 Peter Mosman Classic and Young Star Classic for John Finn while he took out the 2003 Paws Of Thunder with $34 outsider Winsome Shot.
This year alone John and Melinda have won the Group 1 Vic Peters Classic with Zipping Remus, Association Cup with Zipping Orlando and the recent Sydney Cup with Zipping Vanessa.
Denis Donoghue, part-owner of Poco Dorado, Blue Moon Rising and Veloce Nero, who won Sydney, Summer, Association and Wentworth Park Gold Cup finals in 2018 and 2019, said: "I could not fault him in any respect.
"He was more than a great trainer, and while he was a very private sort of fellow, he was indeed a wonderful human being.''
The staff of GRNSW and the legion of friends wish to extend their sincere condolences to Melinda Finn and the extended Finn family on their massive loss.
