Shane Dye The Australian 19 September 2006

19 SEPTEMBER 2006.

John Stapleton

DESPITE all the problems of the past few years, the first wife of jockey Shane Dye remains intensely loyal to him.

Revealed on the ABC's Australian story tonight is a relationship which has eschewed the typical bitterness of separated couples.

This is the first major interview by Karla Dye since Shane Dye's second marriage, to young model Emma-Kate Sullivan, collapsed in 2004.

Karla and Shane Dye were once the golden couple of Australian racing, a glamorous pair seen at all the industry's major functions. Despite a sympathetic media which tended to take her side, she was publicly humiliated when after 17 years of marriage Shane left her at the end of 1998.

Barring any last minute medical concerns Dye will race in Hong Kong this weekend, for the first time since a near fatal fall in June. Serious head injuries almost left him in a wheelchair for life.

The last public sight of Karla Dye was of her with their son Nicholas and her new husband, former rugby league star Paul Langmack, flying to Shane Dye's side after the accident.

Senior producer with Australian Story Helen Grasswill said more than anything else she came away from making the episode impressed by the loyalty of Karla Dye.

``Remarkably she still supports him very strongly,'' she said. ``Karla is not bitter towards him. Her generosity of spirit really struck me.

``Their marriage breakup was only seven years ago now. It was reasonably acrimonious and played out in the media. The breakup and the fact that it was in the media was incredibly hurtful, even though the media was supportive of her.''

Shane Dye was never known for his modesty and Australian Story shows that nothing has changed. It begins with Dye saying he is more interested in prestige than money, because money is not about being the best. ``I would love to be remembered as one of the greatest riders in Australia and New Zealand... And I think I will be. My record's outstanding.''

But Karla said she understood what drove her former husband. ``He is very arrogant, self-opinioniated and a little bit self-centred but I don't mean that unkindly, he had to become that sort of person to be a success,'' she said.

The program ends with very different comments from the pair. Shane says he is very focussed on his career at this point, while Karla acknowledges that her loyalty to him appears odd, or questionable, but he will always be the father of her only. child. ``Do I still love him? Not that I want to race him off to the bedroom, absolutely not. But do I want him to have a good life and be happy. Absolutely.''