Grandson seeks to make amends in Mt Gambier Cup
It was back in 2002 that former prolific trainer Graeme Bate looked to have the Mount Gambier Cup well and truly stitched up with a greyhound called Kantarn Bale.
After all, the son of Light Of Fire x Jindara Bale had won 40-odd races and more than $280,000 in stakemoney when he lined up in a heat on Saturday, May 18.
But he failed to make the final, run two days later on the holiday Monday, when finishing third behind Panda Hand. The 512 metre final was subsequently won by the Mark Delbridge trained Penny Melody in a time of 30.57 seconds.
Now, 20 years later, Bate’s grandson, Daniel Gibbons of Avalon, is back looking to make amends with Titan Blazer who has drawn box five in the second heat of Sunday’s Carlin & Gazzard MG Mount Gambier Cup (512 m) at Tara Raceway.
Photo: Daniel Gibbons with Titan Blazer who looks one of the top chances in this year’s Carlin & Gazzard MG Mount Gambier Cup.
By Mepunga Blazer out of Miss Tron, Titan Blazer has won 15 races from 31 starts for stakemoney of more than $80,000. The black dog comes into the Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup on the back of a third placing in the Group 1 Silver Chief at The Meadows in January. He also reached the final of this year’s Group 1 Australian Cup – won twice by Gibbons’ grandfather.
Gibbons, 33, who is still chasing his first feature race win, trains in partnership with his wife Rebecca. And the pair boasts an interesting life together.
Prior to training greyhounds they had had been professional wrestlers – Daniel competing as “Danny Psycho” and Rebecca as “Samantha Stunningham”.
Rebecca is also well represented in the cup with Brendan Wheeler’s young littermates McKeon Bale and Quinlan Bale – the former, in particular, looking a top chance in the fifth heat.
By Feral Franky out of Ethla Allen, McKeon Bale has won three races from seven starts with the June 2020 whelping’s standout performance being a 29.39 seconds win over 515 metres at Sandown Park in February.
Meanwhile, Weblec Ranger’s trainer, Angela Langton of Anakie, is looking to become the first recipient of Greyhound Racing SA’s Murray Bridge Cup and Mount Gambier Cup bonuses.
Winner of the Murray Bridge Cup earlier this month, Weblec Ranger has drawn box eight in the sixth and final Mount Gambier Cup heat. Langton will receive a $10,000 bonus if the son of Kinloch Brae x Weblec Rose can now win his second cup.
However, if Weblec Ranger is unsuccessful, Langton is still in line for a $5000 bonus if one of her other runners is successful.
Local trainer Tracie Price, chasing his first Mount Gambier Cup win, holds a strong hand with Chuck Rocks and Giant’s Flash who both drew box one in heats three and four respectively.
Chuck Rocks carved out a quick 29.46 seconds over 512 metres at last Sunday’s meeting at Tara Raceway while Giant’s Flash is unbeaten in four starts at the track since running a track record of 29.19 seconds on January 20.
Toolong owner-trainer Phil Lenehan will be hoping to go one better in the cup with Lektra Rhino after his former track record holder Lektra Stomp finished second to Xtreme Caution in 2018.
He’ll also be looking to emulate his father, Brian, who in 1993 was successful with Immortal Flash (Shining Chariot x Sydney Dingaan) when the Mount Gambier Cup was run at Glenburnie.
Lektra Rhino, a son of Zambora Brockie x Lektra Viki, will contest the first heat from box one after having won his past two starts from the inside draw at Sandown Park and The Meadows.