He was 82.

Maurer enjoyed enormous success as a breeder and trainer, with his most talented chasers including Adrenalize, Adrenalin Burst, Adrenalin Storm and Dazzling Dinney.

He was also a highly respected canine chiropractor,.

His daughters Tracy and Vikki described their dad as their hero, while son Neil junior said their father would be remembered for his generosity and dedication.

"Greyhound racing was dad's life. He loved his greyhounds and his life revolved around them which is probably why he experienced so much success.

"He believed he could get at least one win out of any dog he trained, which speaks volumes about his determination."

Close friend Paul Hammerstein offered his condolences to the Maurer family.

"Neil had the touch," Hammerstein said. "Trainers would travel from the other side of Victoria to take their dogs to him, and I'm talking about the biggest named trainers in the game."

"He would also check people's pet dogs and show dogs."

Hammerstein's friendship with Neil dates back more than 25 years.

"I've known Neil since I was a kid when my dad used to take his dogs to him.

"I also worked for Neil for a while and lived with him and his (late) wife Terry for a few years.

"Terry was right into the breeding and rearing side of things, while Neil was an outstanding trainer and muscle man."

"They bred and trained so many quality dogs over a long period, and won a number of feature races including the Maturity Classic (Adrenalin Storm) and the Cranbourne Puppy Classic (Adrenalize)," Hammerstein said.