Compton Suzy kicks off big day for Price
Compton Suzy’s win in the Klaassens Contractors Maiden Stake (512 metres) at yesterday’s Tara Raceway meeting was the start of a big day for Compton trainer Tracie Price.
Away well from box one, Compton Suzy looked anything but the greyhound that had been unplaced at her first four starts when leading all the way to defeat kennelmate Compton Peggy by 5¼ lengths in a tidy 30.13 seconds.
By Peter Rocket out of Stylish Moment, she’s raced by Price’s wife Karen who also bred the February 2019 black bitch.
Yesterday’s win continued their long involvement with the line, Tracie Price also training Stylish Moment – winner of the inaugural Winter Classic at Tara Raceway in 2014 – and her dam Nicky’s Moment.
Heats of this year’s Winter Classic, albeit a little belated, will be run on Thursday, September 17 with the final a week later. The event is for dogs and bitches whelped on or after July 1, 2018, Price saying he was now contemplating running Compton Suzy in the age-restricted classic.
He has a good record in the Winter Classic, Cee Me Burst winning the 2015 event and Smart Knocka successful in 2018. Other winners have been Lektra Munster (2016), Solitary Lad (2017) and Balboa Fury (2019).
Later in the day Price won both heats of a grade five series (512 m), Elle Limes successful in the Bourne Kennels Stake in a personal best 30.02 seconds and Double Love also clocking a personal best 29.90 seconds to win the Williams Crane Hire Stake.
All told, he’ll have five runners in this Sunday’s final – Exciting Times and Black Spring completing a trifecta behind Double Love and Proud Fernando finishing fourth to Elle Limes.
For Elle Limes, who has raced mainly over 400 metres, the win was her first over the 512 metres journey. In what was a roughly run race, the brindle daughter of Spring Gun x Grimsby Girl chased noted speedster Our Man Zed into the home straight before running away to a 1½ lengths win.
Double Love, a 36 kilograms son of Dyna Double One and Tara Raceway’s leading dam Miss Freelove, never looked like being beaten after railing through to find the front going out of the first turn. The 2¼ lengths win was his first since late May.
Yesterday was actually a day of training trebles at Tara Raceway. David Peckham of Allendale East was successful with Midnight Daisy, Bay Me and Aston Hayato and Lisa Rasmussen of Gifford Hill with Bobby Lava, Cawbourne Clancy and Cawbourne Cross.
Midnight Daisy, according to Peckham, is another one being considered for the Winter Classic after her first-up win in the Produce Store Maiden/One Win Stake (400 m).
Away well from box one, the black bitch couldn’t match the early pace of Sidney’s Star but finished the stronger in the home straight for a 1½ lengths win in 23.40 seconds.
A January 2019 daughter of Fernando Bale and Midnight News, Midnight Daisy was purchased in a two-dog package deal in July from Clergate (NSW) breeder David Pringle by the Nineofus Syndicate in partnership with Peckham, Jason Newman and Kevin “KD” Douglas.
The Nineofus Syndicate, managed by Ross Schurgott, also has Double Vision pencilled in for the Winter Classic. The black dog is closely related to Midnight Daisy, being by Fernando Bale out of Midnight Elsa, a daughter of Midnight News.
A winner of five races at Tara Raceway with a best time of 30.16 seconds, Double Vision is the ideal Winter Classic age, being whelped in July 2018.
Tony Rasmussen, standing in for wife Lisa at Tara Raceway yesterday, said their kennel was also looking at the Winter Classic.
And while none of yesterday’s winners are of classic age, Heckle Me, recent winner of the Produce Store Feature Maiden (512 m), and Frodo Baggins turned in good performances from a classic point of view in the Rock’s Tavern Stake (400 m) behind Aston Hayato, a winner in a quick 22.96 seconds.
Heckle Me, a November 2018 whelping by Aston Dee Bee out of She’s A Looper, took plenty of ground off the winner when running a 1¾ lengths second. Frodo Baggins, a January 2019 son of Oaks Road x Allinga Val, made up plenty of ground after missing the start from box one to finish a further two lengths back in third spot.
It was another good day for the Rasmussen team – Hali’s Girl, Cash Or Cheque and Cawbourne Get Up successful at Murray Bridge last night.
Pic: Tracie and Karen Price with Compton Suzy after her win at Tara Raceway yesterday.