Peckham emulates father with Anniversary Cup win
Allendale East trainer David Peckham on Sunday landed his biggest win at Tara Raceway when Aston Ziebell won the Exchange Printers Anniversary Cup (512 metres) in an impressive time of 29.43 seconds.
Celebrating 44 years of greyhound racing in the South-East, this year’s Anniversary Cup, first run at Glenburnie in 1985 when won by the Hazel Lane trained Kenzel Lad, carried record prizemoney of $8000.
And Aston Ziebell never really looked in any danger of defeat when quickly crossing the field from box eight before running away to a 4½ length win over Max Power – winner of last year’s Border Challenge for Dennington trainer Dustin Drew.
Finishing third was Whiskey Chaser, trained at Compton by Tracie Price who had provided the previous three Anniversary Cup winners – Spring Cuervo, Tandiki and Giant’s Flash.
For Peckham, Mount Gambier’s leading trainer in 2012-2014 and 2019-2021, Sunday’s win had been a case of emulating his father, Allen, also a former leading trainer and successful on a couple of occasions in the Anniversary Cup.
Owned by Ray Borda, one of Australia’s leading owners, the 3½-year-old Aston Ziebell has won 22 races since joining Peckham’s kennels in June 2022. All told, the son of Aston Kimetto and Aston Dinnigan has now earned $61,000 in prize money.
“He’d won five races when I took him over last year but he had come with a bit of baggage insomuch that he had copped a 28-day suspension for failing to chase at The Meadows several months earlier,” said Peckham.
“He’s a very reserved type of dog and a decision to race him in a blinkered muzzle I think has certainly improved his racing manners. With the exception of one ‘questionable’ incident at Murray Bridge earlier in the year things have gone pretty well with him.”
But a trip to Ballarat in June for a grade five heat over 450 metres almost signalled the end of Peckham’s Mount Gambier Anniversary Cup aspirations with Aston Ziebell when he received a 28-day stand down for injury.
“Look, there was nothing in it and a couple of weeks later after I requested another veterinary check he was given the all clear to race.”
Peckham said Aston Ziebell’s next target was now the SA National Straight Track Championship over 350 metres at Murray Bridge.
“I’m looking forward to the heats which are on Tuesday, August 1 and the $14,275 final a week later. The Group 3 National Grand Final will then be run at Healesville on Saturday, August 26.”
This was the third year that Exchange Printers has sponsored the Anniversary Cup. And once again Kath Matthias and staff, family and friends threw their support behind what is one of local greyhound racing’s best days of the year.