Mount Gambier Week in Review
Uriel Bale Eclipses Mount Gambier Record In Heat
VICTORIAN Uriel Bale eclipsed the 512m track record when scoring a devastating Mount Gambier Cup heat win on Sunday.
The son of Barcia Bale-Welsly Bale scored by an ever increasing nine and three-quarter lengths at what was his first look at the track. And he took the Wheeler family-bred and owned dog's record to 16 starts for 11 wins.
Michael’s here for the glory
Long-time Berringa trainer Michael Niele, who regularly makes successful Thursday trips to Tara Raceway with Tony Harding of Hamilton, was among the winners again at last week’s meeting.
This time it was with the speedy Here For Glory who led all the way from box one when defeating Saint Sally by 3¾ lengths in a tidy 17.75 seconds in the Trackside Pet Meats TG1-4W Stake over 305 metres.
The win was the brindle dog’s second, his first being back in January when also successful over 305 metres in 17.73 seconds – pretty handy for a maiden race.
But, according to Niele, therein lies the problem.
“Look, he’s very fast over 305 metres but getting runs here over that distance in a 1-4 wins grade is near on impossible. You only have to look at his form to see that as soon as he steps up over any further he’s found wanting.”
Owned by Connor Clarke, Here For Glory is by Supreme Panama out of the city-winning Alpha Venus, and has been in Niele’s kennels since December.
The Ballarat-based Clarke, better known as a successful harness racing driver, has been involved in a number of greyhounds, his interest in the sport coming about through an involvement with a former girlfriend.
He also manages the Trot Boy Syndicate which last year won the Taree Million Dollar Chase regional final with Nora’s Boy who the syndicate purchased for $12,000.
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Leading Trainer, GOTY awards presented at Tara Raceway
As it turned out, last Sunday out at Tara Raceway wasn’t too bad a day for Compton trainer Tracie Price.
First he was presented with the 2023 Ian Badger Leading Trainer award by Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club (MGGRC) president Noel Perry prior to the running of the seventh heat of the Cadillac Racing Mount Gambier Cup (512 metres).
And while Price had runners engaged in all eight heats of the cup he had been running out of options by the time Myall Mate lined up from box two in the second-last heat.
But the son of Beast Unleashed and Spot On Cinta virtually led all the way to grab a spot in this Sunday’s $36,000 final and give Price yet another chance to finally win the MGGRC’s main race of the year which has been conducted since 1981.
He was Mount Gambier’s leading trainer in 2015, 2016 and again in 2018 when the award assumed the name of the late Ian Badger – the club’s inaugural leading trainer in 1978-1979.
In 2022 Price was once again the leading local trainer with a record-breaking 181 winners. This was upstaged last year with a tally of 194 which included wins with Honey Rocks (Summer Classic), Bad Move (Cadillac Racing Cannonball) and Mister Banjo (Christmas Cup).
Speaking at the presentation, Price once again gratefully acknowledged the help he receives from his large team of helpers.
Nero Valentino’s consistency throughout last year paid off when the son of Fernando Bale and Sweet Barbados accumulated 75 points and defeated Redshift Uniform by 13 points in the 2023 Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year (GOTY).
Nero Valentino is owned at Edenhope by Cadillac Racing’s Kerry Hawker who purchased the black dog in June 2022 for $2000.
With GOTY scoring conducted only on Category 2 (Sunday) meetings, his seven wins were sufficient to get him over the line given he had also run 21 seconds and nine thirds.
Cadillac Racing partner Cap Abbott has also enjoyed his share of GOTY success – Black Spring successful in 2019 and Another Pick in 2021.
And Mister Cadillac, second to Bern By in a heat of the cup, is currently sitting in third spot in this year’s GOTY.
Cup carnival kicks off with record-breaking Calcutta auction
The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club (MGGRC) Mount Gambier Cup carnival was off to a flying start last night at Tara Raceway with a record-breaking Calcutta auction.
With 58 greyhounds drawn to contest tomorrow’s eight heats, it was auctioneer Chris Manser of Green Triangle Real Estate – looking and sounding slightly the worse for wear – who rose to the occasion with his customary professionalism.
And adding to the professionalism of the night was MC Kevin “KD” Douglas whose insights into the cup contenders ensured the enthusiastic audience was fully aware of what they were bidding on.
The 58 cup runners had previously been graded into four groups (D, C, B, A) – the first two groups to be auctioned comprising 22 and 19 runners respectively.
Topping the bidding at $160 in Group D was the Cap Abbott owned and trained Edenhope-based Top Cadillac, a winner of nine races from 20 starts but off the scene since the end of January.
Abbott, and partner Kerry Hawker, of Cadillac Racing, this year are the MGGRC’s major sponsor and were extended an appreciative round of applause on the night.
Also attracting interest with a bid of $125 in the first group was Aminah, a 29.78 seconds winner over the cup distance of 512 metres at the end of February for Dennington trainer Dustin Drew.
Group C resulted in another Drew-trained runner in Aston Kalkara topping the bidding at $210. A finalist in last year’s Warrnambool Cup, the son of Aston Kimetto x Aston Upton is unbeaten in three runs at Tara Raceway over 512 metres.
And Canya Exceed, trained at Rowsley by Matt Lanigan, brought $205 on the back of three pretty handy runs at Sandown Park over 515 metres last month after having resumed from a six-month break.
In Group B, Long Haul, winner of the recent Murray Bridge Cup Consolation (455 m) for Two Wells trainer Kiah Hurley, was auctioned for $300 while Follow The Band, trained at Avalon by Danny Gibbons who won last year’s cup with Titan Blazer, brought $260.
Traditionally, by virtue of the way in which the cup contenders are grouped, the last greyhound auctioned on the night in Group A generally brings the highest amount.
Originally, Like Wildfire had been listed as the last to be auctioned with Adhana Rico the second last. However, Douglas had been keen to swap the pair with the result being that Adhana Rico was purchased by a syndicate of 15 for $1180 – a record price for a MGGRC Calcutta.
Owned and trained at Lewiston by Cameron Forshaw, the son of Fernando Bale and Bella Rico is a winner of 27 races and more than $207,000 in prize money.
While the Group 3 Cadillac Racing Mount Gambier Cup is worth $26,000 to winner, Forshaw will also be chasing a $10,000 Greyhound Racing SA bonus if Adhana Rico, winner of the recent Murray Bridge Cup, can win the cups double.
Like Wildfire, winner of his past five starts at Angle Park for Munno Para trainer Tim Aloisi, was the subject of spirited bidding before being sold for $965.
Aloisi will be chasing his second Mount Gambier Cup after Sunset Milo defeated Kipling in 2020, then a Group Listed event.
And in what is another record, this year’s Calcutta payout following the running of the final on Sunday, April 14 will be $5330, $1520 and $760 for the purchasers of the three placegetters.
But come Sunday, though, and things didn’t go quite to plan with the highest priced greyhound from the Calcutta into the final having been sold for $210. Actually, the final field makes for interesting reading.
Box 1 Chapel Road (Calcutta price $180), 2 Mighty Quinn ($25), 3 Bern By ($60), 4 Purified ($35), 5 Aston Marvel ($180), 6 Myall Mate ($75), 7 Paua Of Silence ($140), 8 Uriel Bale ($210). Reserves: 9 Kai Bale ($660), 10 Adhana Rico ($1180).