'Mr Xamax' back on track with new crop.

Byline: TANYA STEVENSON

EMANATING from Norah McEllistrim's Wimbledon kennels and filtering into open races across the country, six years ago the Xamax prefix was everywhere. Success from their achievements, especially from marathon star Xamax Xylograph, encouraged further investment from owner Colin Wilson.

He introduced himself into the sport while a student at Leicester University; trips to Monmore are spoken with affection. However, studying in Switzerland brought about the infamous prefix we have learned to know, love and include in our forecasts. He adopted it from the local football team Neuchatel Xamax. "The X's stand out when you are looking in a newspaper" is his reasoning.

He still has Xamax Xylograph, or 'Bubbles' as she's known at home. She started her career in Wimbledon A9 and in 2001 finished fourth to her sister Killeacle Phoebe in the TV Trophy. In between she competed against Jennie Come Home, Let Us Know, Hollinwood Poppy and Palace Issue - all staying greats.

It was in that era he began his association and friendship with Lee Gifkins, who at the time had charge of marathon bitch Fast And Easy. She caught Wilson's eye and he snapped her up.

Along with Xylograph, she provided him with two finalists in the 2001 Pepsi Cola Marathon, which had to be rerun. In a cruel twist of fate, Fast And Easy was collared in the re-run by Hollinwood Poppy, while in the original running it seemed she had victory secured.

Wilson has a positive, happy nature, selflessness and devotion to a sport that has dealt him more cruel blows than all of us owners put together have faced.

On May 17, 2001 he wrote a tale of woe printed in the Racing Post which documented 19 injuries to his greyhounds in just two years. He moved his dogs from Wimbledon to Crayford and has bounced back with defiance.

Those who know Wilson tell me the same: a genuinely nice person, who has that insatiable desire to win, but also possesses immense honour, grace and dignity in losing. No doubt he was instrumental in rallying owners into nominating Gemma Davidson for Kennelhand of the Year.

He has used an abundance of ideas to raise money for retired greyhounds. He organised a raffle with the prize to own Xamax Rugrat for the duration of the Derby, with dinner in the restaurant to watch him each round. There was karaoke too and the evening raised over pounds 15,000.

He had Xamax Johndee trial at Wimbledon before racing on another fundraising evening and offered to donate pounds 100 for every dog that went quicker than his trial time. pounds 600 went to retired greyhounds.

After a couple of years breeding new talent, the Xamax prefix is prevalent once more, with four runners at Sittingbourne last night and newcomers introduced to Crayford each week.

Asked for his favourite greyhound memory his reply was "I've been so lucky to have so many that it is a hard question to answer, though I do think it has to be watching Sylvia [trainer John Davidson's wife] break down in tears as Xamax Johndee led off the last in the Henlow Gold Cup.

"John was so poorly at the time he wasn't even able to walk the 30 yards to come and collect the trophy, and it was their first ever Category 2 victory."

In the cuttings library Wilson is quoted as saying "It wasn't the Derby final but it was our Derby final, we were all in tears".

Colin Wilson gets married on the 15th of this month to Natalie, good luck to them both.