Honey Rocks makes most of its chance
Kennelmates continue on the straight and narrow
It hasn’t been all plain sailing for Zipping Shakira and Purified, currently kennelmates and being trained at Moorak by Jason Newman.
By US sire Superior Panama out of Zipping Bailey – a winner of 21 races and more than $370,000 in prize money – Zipping Shakira found her way to the South-East late last year after one unplaced run at Goulburn.
But her debut run at Tara Raceway failed to excite her owners, Tim Aloisi and Dave Green, when she copped a 28 day suspension for marring.
Come the new year and with Zipping Shakira now in Newman’s kennels, it was decided to try racing her in blinkers to see if that would keep her on the straight and narrow. Well, so far, so good following 14 runs this year.
In fact, her all the way win in last Sunday’s Todd’s Photographics Stake (512 metres) when defeating Comet To Burn by two lengths in 29.81 seconds was her second successive win following a dead-heat with Huntsman over 400 metres the previous Sunday. All told, she’s now won five races.
Purified, a daughter of Fernando Bale and Mepunga Spectre, and raced by Aloisi’s partner Lena Dureikina, is twice a Group 3 finalist – in the 2023 SA Oaks at Angle Park and the 2024 Mount Gambier Cup.
However, by the time she had found her way to Moorak in February she had also copped suspensions for marring and failing to chase at The Meadows, Sandown Park and Murray Bridge.
With blinkers firmly in place, Purified won on debut at Tara Raceway in March and then followed up in April with something of a surprise win in a Mount Gambier Cup heat.
And in last Sunday’s final race, the Gambier Vets Mixed Stake (512 m), she led all the way from box two when defeating Minh Ellie by a length in a personal best time of 29.72 seconds.
For Newman it was one of his more satisfying doubles.
“The pair has presented a few challenges along the way so to be able to win with both on the same day has been a rewarding experience,” he said.
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Charities continue to benefit from people’s generosity
More than $30,000 has been raised and many local charities have benefited from the generosity of people at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club, according to Kevin “KD” Douglas, in essence the founder of the Tara Tipsters.
“Put simply, all money generated through the Tara Tipsters twice-weekly tipping competition stays in Mount Gambier and is used for individuals, families and groups in need of assistance,” he said.
“Our latest endeavour was to raise money for Four Reasons Why. The tipping concludes on Thursday with a presentation to be made on Sunday, May 12.”
Four Reasons Why was founded in 2017 by single mother Trudi Shelton. This initiative strives to provide support, assistance and opportunities to locals in need. All donations stay local, for locals.
Four Reasons Why focuses on pre-loved items, new goods, winter clothing and footwear, drink bottles, sports equipment etc. for local children and families experiencing hardship.
Douglas said following Four Reasons Why, the Tara Tipsters attention would focus on the Mount Gambier Cancer Support Group.
He also extended congratulations to Kevin Patzel for showing the rest of the Tara Tipsters how tipping is done.
“Three in a row is a terrific achievement,” Douglas said. “And such was the ordinary effort of former leading tipster David Lewis that he broke down in tears while the ever-consistent Robert Halliday once again brought up the rear.”
According to Douglas, the Tara Tipsters competition is unique to the greyhound racing industry and remains a very positive feature among many negative issues currently being promoted.
“Actions such as Adelaide-based trainer (and tipster) Tim Aloisi presenting Mia Powell with his consolation cup and rug will always provide a great memory.
“Then there’s Jarrad jumping up and down when his selected dog wins and Rob Stafford sitting quietly as his selections accumulate little return.
“Conferring on the day’s racing is the Bartholomew clan, selections such that they ultimately finish miles apart. And the “Bench Boys” wait patiently to put down Halliday – again.
“All in good fun and all for a great cause.”
Douglas said he enjoyed being part of an activity that did not judge people by their beauty nor by their ability.
“We just continue to succeed at helping and changing people’s lives.”
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Honey Rocks finds herself in the right place at the right time
All things being equal, the best the connections of Honey Rocks could have hoped for was a spot on the reserve bench after running fifth from box eight in the first of two heats of the ANZAC Gift (512 metres) at Tara Raceway’s April 21 meeting.
But a 21 days stand down period for the heat winner, Come On Kilkenny, resulted in Honey Rocks gaining a start in the non-penalty ANZAC Day final. Not only that, for good measure, she also came up with box one.
And the daughter of Fernando Bale and Rhonda Rocks made every post a winner when leading all the way and defeating Saint Tommy by 7¾ lengths in a personal best time of 29.61 seconds.
The win was her 15th win in a 72 start career which also includes last year’s success in the $10,000 Summer Classic (512 m) at Tara Raceway.
Owned in Adelaide by Ron Murch, who also bred the fawn bitch, Honey Rocks is trained at Compton by Tracie Price who won the inaugural ANZAC Gift in 2022 with Giant’s Flash in 29.29 seconds.
Last year it was the David Peckham trained Aston Ziebell who led all the way when defeating the Price-trained Hooked On Love by a head in the same time as the previous year.
Once again, making the ANZAC Gift presentation was Hamilton-based participant Tony Harding, a Tara Raceway regular.
He had been conscripted as a 21-year-old and was based at Woodside for six months prior to serving as a rifleman in the 3rd Battalion RAR (Infantry) in Vietnam during 1967-1968.
Meanwhile, ANZAC Day resulted in two-track success for Warrnambool couple Rob and Linda Gore’s Fernando Bale x My Girl Kizzy litter after Moonlight Annie and Pass Mark won at Tara Raceway and Sandown Park.
Chasing her first win at start number nine, Moonlight Annie settled in third spot in the Gambier Vets Maiden Stake (400 m). She then railed through on Jacaranda on the home turn before running out a strong three length winner in 23.52 seconds.
“The plan had always been to try and win a maiden and then step her up in distance because some of the litter are going pretty well over more ground,” Rob Gore said.
Later on ANZAC Day, Pass Mark won over 715 metres at Sandown Park and took his earnings to $50,000. Container, a winner of $14,000, recently ran second at The Meadows (600 m) while Veronica Lodge recently won at Hobart (461 metres) and took her earnings to $15,000.
By Mepunga Blazer out of Mepunga Rosie, My Girl Kizzy – a Sandown Park winner over 715 metres –raced on 47 occasions for 11 wins and $70,000 in prize money.
And making a welcome return to the winner’s list last Thursday was Top Cadillac, owned and trained at Edenhope by Cap Abbott.
Top Cadillac, a son of Feral Franky and Establish, was an $8000 purchase at 10 months of age. However, with 10 wins and four minor placings from 24 starts, the January 2022 black dog has accumulated more than $14,000 in prize money.
But come the new year and Abbott’s nine-race winner appeared to have lost all form and it was decided to give him a break.
“The going was a bit tough when he returned in April so we then decided to try and gain a start at a time-graded meeting with the aim of using it as a confidence booster,” Abbott said.
With a time-graded rating of 6.5, Top Cadillac found himself in the Icon Signs TG5+W Stake (512 m) and looked reasonably well placed given the race rating range of 8.75 down to 6.
And when he took the lead from Circus Craze down the back it looked something like the Top Cadillac of old as he charged away to a 3¾ length win in a personal best time of 29.60 seconds.
“That was certainly better,” a beaming Abbott said after the race. “I’m still hopeful that he might have a 732 metre in him but I guess time will tell.”
Top Cadillac’s half-brother, Adelaide-based Sir Truculent, certainly had no trouble in running out the distance. He raced on 128 occasions for 46 wins and prize money of close to $442,000.
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The penny drops for Pinto
Penny Pinto, a winner of three races at Warrnambool prior to a recent win over 400 metres at Mount Gambier, was only seven months old when her owner, John Burow of Penshurst, passed away suddenly at home.
The brindle daughter of Fernando Bale and the unraced Weeona Dotty had been purchased as a pup by Burow from East Shepparton breeder Marien Sullivan.
But following his death, it was next door neighbour Brendan Casey – also a long-time greyhound racing participant – who assumed the ownership of the then unnamed Penny Pinto.
“Later, when we sent her off to be broken-in, we weren’t really getting too excited about her prospects. But the final assessment that we should have a lot of fun with her had been heartening,” he said.
Penny Pinto’s first Mount Gambier win came on cup day – April 14 – when she quickly found the front from box six in the Todd’s Photographic Stake before finishing a length clear on the line over Mooball in a very tidy 23.05 seconds.
“Buzz (Burow) would have been pretty happy with that run,” Casey said. “She now seems to be improving with every start and I reckon it’s nearly time to try her over a bit more ground.”
Burow is also the bloke who turned up at the track a couple of years ago with no teeth. And he quickly worked out what had happened to the disappearing dentures.
Apparently every day he had been giving his retired greyhound United Lass – who spent more time inside than out – a couple of dog biscuits. She would then eat one and take the other one outside and bury it.
So he figured she had probably grabbed the dentures as well and they were also buried somewhere in the back yard.
Casey had come over and the pair hunted high and low but all they ever found were a couple of dog biscuits!