Charity cup winner a model of consistency
Charity cup winner a model of consistency
Representatives of the Mount Gambier Cancer Support Group, looking resplendent in their distinctive tops, were out in force last Sunday at Tara Raceway for the running of the Tara Tipsters Cup (512 metres).
And it was Bourne Model, having only her fourth race start for Allendale East trainer David Peckham, who led all the way from box seven for a three length win over Aston Colette in 29.96 seconds.
The daughter of Feral Franky and Sweet On Me also won the long-running John Reid Memorial Maiden (512 m) last month for the locally-based Bourne Team – Peckham, Kevin Douglas, Kevin Patzel and Christine Yourgules.
Peckham is now preparing Bourne Model, a September 2022 whelping, for this month’s $6500 Cadillac Racing Winter Classic (512 m), an age restricted classic for dogs and bitches whelped on or after July 1, 2022.
Sweet On Me, currently this year’s leading dam at Tara Raceway with 18 winners, won the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s companion event, the Summer Classic, back in 2020.
Following the running of the cup, Lorraine Musgrove of the Cancer Support Group once again sincerely thanked the MGGRC and its participants for their generous support of local charities through the twice-weekly Tara Tipsters competition.
Winner of the Mount Gambier Cancer Support Group 19-round series was Adelaide-based Tim Aloisi, a great supporter of the Tara Tipsters, who narrowly finished in front of locals Kevin Patzel and Craig Grubb.
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Long trips finally pay off for Waikerie owner-trainer
Riverland-based owner-trainer Adam Burda reckoned he had made the 1000 kilometre round trip from Waikerie to Mount Gambier with his greyhounds a dozen or so times in a 30-year involvement – with no real success, though.
But all that changed for Burda last Sunday when No Fines, who he also bred, led all the way from box seven and defeated Rough Boy Russ by 2¾ lengths in the Metal Worx Stake (400 m) in 23.21 seconds.
By Fabregas, No Fines is out of Josie Rumble, a nicely bred daughter of Kiowa Mon Manny and Mystic Rumble and a winner of 21 races for $52,000 in prize money. According to Burda, though, it had been pure luck that he ended up with Josie Rumble.
“I had been looking around for a brood bitch and had spoken to Michael Lalicz from up Grafton way regarding Josie Rumble. He hadn’t filled me with a lot of hope but said he would get back to me if anything eventuated.
“Anyway, Michael did get back to me and Josie Rumble found her way to Waikerie. Her first of two litters for me was by Fernando Bale and included a dog named No Idea who is raced by the Space Invaders Syndicate which I manage.”
For a moment let’s back track to a Tara Raceway meeting in late January 2019 and to Mount Gambier-based Troy Casey who won his first race at the local track when No Song, trained by Nicole Stanley, led all the way over 512 metres.
Casey was one of four members of the Son Of Vadar Syndicate that raced No Song who had been having her first run in Mount Gambier after previously racing in Adelaide.
For Casey, who was on track for the win, it had been his first involvement in the sport after the syndicate had purchased No Song as a pup.
Also in the Son Of Vadar Syndicate had been Adam Burda, then of West Richmond, who bred No Song.
And on track at last Sunday’s Tara Raceway meeting was another Space Invaders syndicate member in Troy Casey – finally able to watch No Idea go around live in the Cadillac Racing Stake (400 m).
“As far as No Idea is concerned, my involvement virtually goes back to day one and to when the white and brindle dog was always going to be my selection given the remainder of the litter was white and black,” Casey said.
Chasing his tenth win, No Idea led all the way from box one, eventually running out a three length winner over Solid Ground in 23.14 seconds.
So the day ended pretty well for the “Space Invaders”. Burda finally won a race at Tara Raceway – two in fact – and brought up his third double in 30 years. And Casey finally got back to the track to see one of his dogs win.
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Further boost for distance racing
Local distance racing, not so long ago in dire straits, recently received a further boost with Ernie The Brute relocating from Victoria and joining the Millicent kennels of Dave Green, now the black dog’s sixth trainer.
Ernie The Brute is owned by Jeremy Moss, a Penrith real estate agent who races greyhounds as a hobby. Previously all his racing had been done in Victoria where he won four races at The Meadows, Sandown Park, Sale and Shepparton – two of those over 640 metres and 650 metres.
He stepped out in SA for the first time on July 28 when running third at Tara Raceway to Lakeview Heather over 512 metres. Then he backed up last Thursday with a dominant display over 512 metres when defeating Magic Tom by 5½ lengths in a best of day 29.91 seconds.
A May 2021 whelping, Ernie The Brute’s breeding would certainly suggest that the further he goes the better he gets.
By Shima Shine, he’s out of the Queensland bred Saldana who is owned in NSW by Sandro Bechini. However, Saldana spent most of her racing life in SA in the care of Judi Hurley who won 10 races with her at Gawler and Angle Park which included a couple over 731 metres.
And Ernie the Brute’s litter sister, Valpolicella – owned by Bechini – boasts a prodigious race record of 58 starts for 31 wins and 19 minor placings, many of her performances over the staying journey. Her prize money tally also probably warrants a mention – $1,030,838.
It was a good week for Green who was successful at Tara Raceway the previous Sunday with Sher Zany over 600 metres. Then last Thursday Paw Some Storm joined Ernie The Brute a couple of races later to make it a double for the relief schoolteacher.
Bringing up four winners for the week for Green on Sunday was Sher Zany. Raced by Jason Newman in partnership with Green, he defeated the Newman trained Redshift Uniform in the Williams Crane Hire Mixed Stake (600 m) by a length in 35.36 seconds.
And while on the subject of staying greyhounds. Earlier in the day giveaway My Girl Kellie, owned and trained at North Bendigo by Aaron Blake, scored a 2¼ length win over Galactic Raven in the Exchange Printers Maiden/One Win Stake (400 m).
By Feral Franky, the light fawn bitch is out of McIvor Verna, who at one-time held the Tara Raceway 600 metre track record at 34.84 seconds when trained by Peter Franklin.
And later, the daughter of Bella Infrared and Blonde Caviar was successful over 732 metres at Tara Raceway and over 730 metres at The Meadows.
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Perfect score for Tara Tipster
There’s no way that Jarrad Williams, one of 21 contestants in the current charity-driven Tara Tipsters competition conducted at the twice-weekly greyhound meetings at Tara Raceway, will be holding back after last Thursday’s Mount Gambier 10-race program.
No, he will continue to remind the 20 other tipsters that, in the four year history of the Tara Tipsters, last week he became the first contestant to pick the card – in this case 10 winners for a total of 40 points.
Now, he’s taken a handy lead over competition heavyweights Tim Aloisi, Kevin Douglas and Kevin Patzel with this particular two-month series throwing its support behind local charity Spare Ya Change 4 Kids.
Six of the winners on the day were odds-on favourites – but they still had to win. The longest-price winner was Allendale East trainer David Peckham’s $3.50 chance Stevie’s Girl in the Carlin & Gazzard TG5+W Stake (400 metres).
Come the final race, the Federal Hotel TG1-4W Stake (400 m), and Williams’ hopes were riding with the $1.60 chance Santa Barbara, raced by Nicole Stanley and Nifty Lenehan of Portland and trained by the latter.
But mid-race and $3.80 chance Aston Fiona, trained by the in-form Peckham, had opened up a handy break over the favourite. Williams breathed easier in the home straight, though, as Santa Barbara finished strongly for a three-quarter length win in 23.41 seconds.
In the race prior, the Ary Sports Bar & Bistro TG1-4W Stake (400 m), Tara Tipsters ambassador Mocambora Mia went around for Cape Bridgewater owner Scott Blacksell, who is currently recovering from another hip operation.
Trained by Peckham, the daughter of Superior Panama and leading local dam Sweet On Me led all the way from box one when defeating Just Paddy by three lengths in 23.28 seconds.
As a result of the win another $50 jumped into the Tara Tipsters charity jar.
Meanwhile, at Tara Raceway’s meeting tomorrow, a cheque will be presented to representatives of the Mount Gambier Cancer Support Group following the running of the Tara Tipster Cup (512 m).