Country Cup Finalists Locked in - Mount Gambier Week in Review
Wild Banker chasing another feature win
Locally trained greyhound Wild Banker will be chasing his third feature race win this year after grabbing a spot in next week’s SA Country Cup final (530 metres) which will be run at Angle Park as a supporting event to the Group 1 Adelaide Cup.
Trained at Compton by Tracie Price, Wild Banker, a son of US sire Need My Moneynow and Wild Marilyn, won Mount Gambier’s Summer Classic (512 m) in January and the SA Straight Track Championship (350 m) at Murray Bridge in May.
With only one 512 metre Country Cup heat being run at Tara Raceway last Sunday the first two placegetters – Royal Nangar and Wild Banker – will now represent the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club in the $8500 final.
Box one runner Wild Banker couldn’t match Royal Nangar’s early pace from out wide but just kept coming, eventually going down by a half head in 29.74 seconds.
For Price, it will now be a case of chasing a second SA Country Cup after Moorak Hope won a revamped format of the long-running event in 2013 at Gawler over 531 metres for Moorak owner Allan Holmes.
And while Wild Banker has won 14 races this year at Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge and Warrnambool, he has raced only once at Angle Park – back at the end of May when running fourth behind Doonan, a winner of 31 races and $151,000 in prize money.
Interestingly, Doonan failed to make the Country Cup final when running second in a heat at Murray Bridge. Trainer Ben Rawlings then opted to run the black dog last Sunday night at Gawler and he’s now through to the Angle Park final after winning the first heat.
Price said that the Tony Longe owned Wild Banker – a winner of 23 races from 43 starts and more than $50,000 in prize money – would now trial at Angle Park this week in readiness for the SA Country Cup final.
“He won’t be trialling over 530 metres but given that he hasn’t seen much of the track, another look there certainly won’t do his final chances any harm.”
Royal Nangar had previously raced at Tara Raceway. Gawler West trainer Tracey Amos back in April had brought down the son of Shima Shine and Nangar Diva for the Cadillac Racing Mount Gambier Cup (512 m).
And the blue dog had gone alright – a one length third behind Purified in a heat and a three length second to Kai Bale in the Cup Consolation.
A couple of months ago Adelaide owner Adrian Kafkoudas and Cody Stenhouse of Broken Hill took over the ownership of Royal Nangar and Jack Trengove of Two Wells the training.
He went into last Sunday’s race on the back of two wins up the straight at Murray Bridge and a 400 metre win at Gawler. As well as perhaps not being all that well suited by a wide draw and Wild Banker sitting up in box one.
Kafkoudas, who made the trip down to Mount Gambier with Trengove, couldn’t contain his excitement when the photo finish revealed the narrow margin in favour of Royal Nangar.
Involved in the sport a number of years ago, Kafkoudas returned a couple of years back and regularly helps out Trengove at his kennels.
Royal Nangar, a son of Shima Shine and Nangar Diva, is a winner of 17 races and $60,000 in prize money. And he’ll be his trainer’s first SA Country Cup runner.
“He’s never raced over 530 metres at Angle Park so I’ll probably give him a look prior to the final,” Trengove said. “And while he won on Sunday from box eight I’m really hoping for an inside draw with him in the final.”
Meanwhile, it was something of a family affair at Tara Raceway last Sunday with father and daughter and mother and son leading in winners.
Steve Bartholomew was successful with Knight Vader, the son of Blazin Wildfire x Galactic Athena always on the pace and defeating Lust To Burn by a length in 23.30 seconds in the Metal Worx Stake (400 m).
Daughter Elysia then won with Unique Pearl who led all the way in the Commercial Hotel Open Stake (400 m) for a three-quarter of a length win over Mister Cadillac in 23.02 seconds.
In the Williams Crane Hire Stake (400 m), Hamilton-based Lorraine Goodwin’s Red To Burn was too strong for Solid Ground, winning by two lengths in 23.30 seconds.
And son Kyle’s You Done impressed in the Cadillac Racing Mixed Stake (512 m) with a solid win over former Queensland chaser Amendola by 3½ lengths in 29.81 seconds.
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SA Country Cup a far cry from days gone by
Once again, Gawler, Murray Bridge and Mount Gambier will each have two representatives in the SA Country Cup final which will be run on Adelaide Cup night at Angle Park over 530 metres on Friday, October 11.
The representation is a far cry from the days when greyhound clubs at Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Port Pirie, Kulpara, Barmera, Strathalbyn and Mount Gambier were all involved in the SA Country Cup.
Back in 1995, Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club president Bill Ward was at Gawler the night his club’s representative, Nickelman, won the 531 metre final in a photo finish for Naracoorte trainer David Lewis.
And in 2008, Tickets Please, trained at Portland by Robert Halliday, represented Mount Gambier at Gawler in the final where he defeated Classy Ace, trained at Booleroo Centre by Don Fiebig.
The demise of the Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Pirie, Kulpara, Barmera and Strathalbyn (later replaced by Murray Bridge) greyhound clubs appeared to have put paid to the SA Country Cup.
But in 2013 the Country Cup was re-introduced and took in the country greyhound clubs still in operation – Gawler, Strathalbyn, Mount Gambier and Port Augusta.
Mount Gambier won the cup that year when Moorak Hope was successful for Moorak owner Allan Holmes and trainer Tracie Price. And in 2016 Nicole Stanley followed up for Mount Gambier at Strathalbyn with Berry Bling.
Back then, the final was shared between Gawler and Strathalbyn and coincided with those clubs’ cup nights.
In 2017 the SA Country Cup was switched to Angle Park to coincide with the Adelaide Cup. Mount Gambier representatives Colden Girl (Bea Bryant) and Paraphernalia (Jeff Guy) finished third and fourth respectively.
And while the Country Cup continues to complement the Adelaide Cup, these days there are only three country clubs remaining – Gawler, Murray Bridge and Mount Gambier – with each club supplying two finalists.
Halliday was back for another crack at the Country Cup in 2018 with a pretty handy greyhound by the name of Hutch. He recalls the occasion well.
“As far as that Country Cup was concerned we headed off to Adelaide full of hope after defeating Jeff Guy’s Paraphernalia in the one-off heat here at Tara Raceway. But Hutch found trouble in the final and later copped 10 days for injury.
“However, the night was far from being a write-off because I did manage to catch up with the delightful GRSA Hunnies!”
Fast forward to last Thursday at Tara Raceway and He’s All Purpose went around for Meningie owner-trainer Tim Richards in the Produce Store TG5+W Stake (512 m) at what was his 142nd start.
However, the February 2020 son of Aston Dee Bee and Purpose Driven, despite being a long odds-on favourite, never really got into the race. His race record remained unchanged at 44 wins, 22 seconds and 14 thirds for prize money of more than $105,000 – still pretty handy all the same.
Three years ago, though, He’s All Purpose represented Mount Gambier in the SA Country Cup final after an outstanding 29.69 seconds heat win over 512 metres.
And the then promising youngster upstaged his older rivals on the big stage at Angle Park when taking out the final from Murray Bridge representatives Barbados Express and Sudden Force in 30.76 seconds.
Mount Gambier’s representatives last year were Whiskey Chaser, trained by Tracie Price, and Lachlan Mill’s Tintinara-based Spartan Brave. They finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Making up this year’s $8500 SA Country Cup final (530 m) at Angle Park on Friday, October 11 will be Mount Gambier: Royal Nangar (Jack Trengove), Wild Banker (Tracie Price); Gawler: Doonan (Ben Rawlings), Pet Detective (Ben Rawlings); Murray Bridge: Weblec Marquise (Damien Smith), Dayne’s Calais (Yvonne Maxwell).
Meanwhile, at Sandown Park in Victoria last Thursday night, Galactic Spartan, owned at Compton by Robert Chuck, brought up his third successive win over the staying journey.
Trained at Rowsley by Matt Lanigan, the son of My Redeemer and Galactic Mojo’s win over 715 metres came on the back of two 730 metre wins at The Meadows.
Galactic Spartan commenced his racing career at Tara Raceway back in March when he strung together three wins over 305 metres and 400 metres before relocating to Victoria. His first win in that state came in August when he had been successful over 660 metres at Bendigo.
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Kerry’s first treble
It’s fair to say that when it comes to greyhound racing, Kerry Hawker, now based at Edenhope, has come a long way since that day three years ago when she trained her first winner at the Mount Gambier track.
The dog in question, her first runner as a trainer, was Gold Rocks who it has to be said gave Hawker a few anxious moments in the final stages of the 400 metre race when Captain Obvious charged home to get within a nose.
And the day became even better for the rookie trainer in the following race with Our Bro Paddy making it two wins from two runners when never looking in any danger of defeat in another 400 metre event.
Fast forward three years and a fair amount of water has passed under the bridge for Hawker who these days runs Cadillac Racing – major sponsor of the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club – in partnership with Captain Abbott.
They don’t miss too many race meetings – Thursday or Sunday – and last week’s Thursday fixture saw Hawker off to a flying start with Pate Biscuit in the Williams Crane Hire TG1-4W Stake over 305 metres.
Chasing her second win in a 22-start career, Pate Biscuit and Sudoku Shirley matched motors throughout with the former winning by a neck in 18.09 seconds.
A daughter of Aussie Infrared and Marlise Bale, Pate Biscuit was purchased unraced but named for $500 from Postman’s Ridge Education Centre in Queensland.
Hawker then followed up in the Commercial Hotel TG5+W Stake (400 m) with Kerry’s Cadillac – chasing her first win this year – who led all the way and defeated Rocket Susie by a length in 23.68 seconds.
And bringing up her first treble was Cadillac Belle, a litter sister to Pate Biscuit, and purchased from Postman’s Ridge at breaking-in for $4,500.
Chasing her 10th win, Cadillac Belle led all the way from box two when defeating Rocket Susie by a length in the Icon Signs TG5+W Stake (400 m).
Hawker’s treble took her winning tally this year at the local track to 25 and Cadillac Racing’s total to 74 after Abbott trained his 49th winner with Cadillac Patch in the last race, the Winning Post Supplies TG5+W Stake (512 m).
In a 12 month period Cadillac Racing purchased 40 pups. “And they have more than paid their way,” Abbott said.
Hawker’s involvement in greyhound racing goes back to the early 1980s and the original Tara Raceway track that had been situated inside the racetrack at Glenburnie.
“My interest came about through my uncle, Alec Steele, who had been the inaugural president of the South East Greyhound Racing Club back in 1972-73. Some 20 years later he was awarded life membership of the club.
“Actually, at one stage I was on the stewards’ panel which was headed by Michael Robinson who is still a regular at Tara Raceway race meetings.”
Hawker then dropped out of the sport for a number of years before once again teaming up with Robinson in an ownership role.
“I raced a couple of greyhounds with Michael – Gentle Moment and Penny La Moment – and they both won races at the local track.”
Kerry’s first treble. Kerry Hawker and Captain Abbott pictured with Cadillac Belle, Kerry’s Cadillac and Pate Biscuit at Tara Raceway last Thursday.