First treble for local trainer highlights big Sunday at Tara Raceway
First treble for local trainer
Compton-based Robert Chuck, who opened his winning account as a trainer back in 2010, landed his first treble last Sunday when Zombieland, Galactic Spartan and Huntsman were successful at Tara Raceway.
Zombieland, a son of Hooked On Scotch and former top Angle Park chaser Miss Bellawood, was purchased as a pup by Chuck from Adelaide breeder Gino Grgurovic.
A first-up 17.79 seconds winner over 305 metres in November, the blue dog settled in second spot in Sunday’s Gordon Refrigeration Maiden/One Win Stake (512 m) before finishing too strongly for Naringal Sally in the run home for a two length win in 30.21 seconds.
Galactic Spartan maintained his unbeaten record when bringing up his third win in the Metal Worx Stake (400 m). The son of My Redeemer and Galactic Mojo overcame a slow start from box three before finishing strongly for a length win over tearaway leader Down South Queen in 23.25 seconds.
A winner of eight races at Tara Raceway and a litter sister to Galactic Athena who won the 2019 Mount Gambier Cup, Galactic Mojo’s first and only litter was bred by Karen Price.
Chuck’s third winner came by way of a dead-heat when another pup purchase in Huntsman (Koblenz x Maddison Kaye) and Zipping Shakira went over the line as one in the Williams Crane Hire Stake (400 m).
The pair shared the lead throughout before stopping the clock at 23.03 seconds in what was the first Tara Raceway dead-heat since Breezed In and Fifield almost 12 months ago.
Bred at Portland by Robert Halliday, it was Galactic Storm, a daughter of Go Wild Teddy x Carina Flex, who presented Chuck with his first winner as a trainer at Tara Raceway on Saturday, February 27.
Following Skye Made Me’s win in the Commercial Hotel Mixed Stake (600 m), Dennington trainer Pat Bouchier is now weighing up his options with the daughter of Shima Shine and Love Made Me in regard to the forthcoming Tankman 600 Dual Distance Challenge.
Always on the pace, Skye Made Me finished strongly when defeating Beauty Bubbles by three-quarters of a length in 35.37 seconds.
Next month’s feature event at Tara Raceway will be sponsored by Allen and Kim Cram, proprietors of the Mount Gambier rainwater tank and gutter cleaning service.
Heats of the Dual Challenge will be run over 512 metres on Sunday, May 19 with the final to be run the following Sunday over 600 metres.
“Given that she does race well here, the Tankman format could be a good series for her,” Bouchier, on track with wife Patricia, said after last Sunday’s win.
“I’m pretty keen on the format so if everything now goes to plan with her I reckon we’ll be back with Skye Made Me for the Dual Challenge.”
North Bendigo owner-trainer Aaron Blake was among the winners at Tara Raceway for the first time since Aston Jerry had been successful on September 3 last year.
This time it was with Sarah Louise in the Todd’s Photographics Stake (512 m) who chased the early leader Our Damiro into the home straight before finishing strongly for a three-quarter length win in 29.94 seconds.
Originally trained at the Borg kennels in Maryborough, she has now won two races for Blake who took over her training last month and promptly won at Ballarat in quick time over 390 metres.
By Aston Dee Bee, Sarah Louise is out of Lady Pandora, a daughter of former top stayer Come On Fantasy who won 18 races and more than $200,000 in prize money.
Blake also has a couple of nicely bred six-month-old pups that he has high hopes for.
“They’re by Hooked On Scotch out of Adelong who we had a lot of fun with at Tara Raceway in 2022. She won 10 races over 400 metres (one), 512 metres (three), 600 metres (two) and 732 metres (four),” he said.
Earlier on Sunday, the Blake-trained Beauty Bubbles, a half-sister to Adelong, ran a three-quarter length second behind Skye Made Me.
Tara Raceway regular John Little, chasing his first winner since August 31 last year when Bungaloo Rachele had been successful, broke through for a well-deserved win with Cricket Tragic in the Carlin & Gazzard Maiden Stake (305 m).
Lining up for start number 12, Cricket Tragic – raced by Little and Jarrad Williams – ran out a three-quarter length winner over Pate Biscuit in 18.30 seconds and became the first of the litter to win.
The On Fire x Springvale Alysa litter has been a real hands-on exercise for the Kongorong-based Little – breeding, rearing, breaking-in and now training the five that have so far been named.