Mount Gambier Weekly Recap
Cup contenders to clash in Sunday’s final
Likely Cadillac Racing Mount Gambier Cup contenders Aston Kalkara and Wild Star should generate plenty of interest when they clash in Sunday’s grade 5 final over 512 metres at Tara Raceway.
A son of Aston Kimetto and Aston Upton, Aston Kalkara is a winner of seven races and $45,315 in prize money for owner Ray Borda and Dennington trainer Dustin Drew.
Having his first start at Tara Raceway, the black dog drew box one in the first heat, the Winning Post Supplies Stake. Last early in the four-dog field, before cutting down to the rails in the home straight, he finished strongly for a length win over Compton Kelly in 30.11 seconds.
Speaking after the race, Drew said the win had been only Aston Kalkara’s second win since returning to racing in November after having sustained a significant injury.
“He required an operation and we were hopeful we could get him back to racing given his form prior to the middle of last year had been pretty good.
“He ran second to Kelsey Bale in a heat of last year’s Group 2 Warrnambool Cup (450 m) and then finished sixth to her in the final.
“He’ll get to have another run on the track this Sunday so we’ll see how he handles himself this week. But all things being equal I’m certainly hopeful of being back for the cup in April.”
In 2022, Drew trained Max Power who won the Border Challenge (512 m) at Tara Raceway.
Wild Star was part of another big day for Compton trainer Tracie Price who finished with five winners – Compton Lass, Lakeview Heather (raced by Price’s daughter Sarah), Current Model and Compton Charlie also successful.
Price’s day was his biggest since September 3 last year when he had won with Compton Charlie, Donny Rocks, Lakeview Jet, Hooked On Love and Ebby Justice.
Wild Star, a member of the successful Need My Moneynow x Wild Marilyn litter, led all the way from box eight in her heat, the Exchange Printers Stake, when defeating Zipping Shakira by 4¾ lengths in 29.73 seconds.
Meanwhile, Damien Smith, who 12 months ago set up next door to the Murray Bridge track, made the trip down to Mount Gambier with Make Noise and Special Herbs. And it had been a while since his last winner at Tara Raceway – in August 2021 with Piastri.
It’s fair to say that Smith’s day didn’t start off all that well after Make Noise was a late scratching. And this was disappointing inasmuch that her anticipated clash with Aston Kalkara would have added even more interest to the first heat of the grade 5.
But things did get better after the Troy Maynard-owned Special Herbs led all the way in the Produce Store Stake (512 m), eventually defeating Lightning Pest by 1¼ lengths in a handy 29.98 seconds.
The 43-year-old Smith boasts a long involvement in greyhound racing through his father Ross and grandmother Dorrie.
Dorrie Smith had been heavily involved in greyhound breeding in the Riverland at a time when greyhound racing was regularly conducted at the Barmera track.
Together with son Ross – who still races the odd greyhound or two – they bred some outstanding greyhounds with Riverland Belle and some of the offspring of the daughter of Black Diro and Tivoli Three.
In 1983, Barry and Jenny Fullerton made the trip down to Glenburnie from Red Cliffs and won the Mount Gambier Cup with Magic Fame, a daughter of Magic Typhoon and Riverland Belle.
Three years later, Kevin Stone ventured down from Barmera and was successful in the Mount Gambier Cup with Riverland Roy, a son of Roy Trease and Riverland Belle.
And in 1982, Cyril Boston won the Adelaide Cup at Angle Park with Smithy’s Belle, a daughter of Waverly Supreme and Riverland Belle.
When it comes to the breeding of greyhounds, it could probably be said that Damien Smith has also done well with Majestic Tale, a winner of 16 races and $20,000 in prize money.
All told, the daughter of Collision and Crystal’s Voice from her four litters by Aston Dee Bee, Spring Gun, Magic Sprite and Hooked On Scotch has so far produced 191 winners on tracks all around Australia.
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The night it all began for a local syndicate
The 2018 Mount Gambier Cup Calcutta, held at Tara Raceway the night prior to the running of the heats, was where it all began for locals Liz Newberry, John Little and Kevin Mullan – collectively known as the Bungaloo Syndicate.
And for those unfamiliar with the Calcutta format, it’s where the heat runners are seeded into four or more groups and auctioned on the night.
In theory, the first group auctioned comprises the so-called “lesser lights”. The final group is made up of what is perceived as the best cup chances and attract the most attention.
Little and Mullan were at Tara Raceway that night as first group bidders. They subsequently secured Xtreme Caution, a winner of six races at the time at Mount Gambier, Horsham and Warrnambool, for basically next to nothing.
While conceding Xtreme Caution hadn’t been a hope in hell of winning the cup, Little said they at least would have an interest in the next day’s heats.
It’s now history how the son of Barcia Bale and Xtreme Gretel, after running second to Blazing Moment in a heat, qualified for the final.
Then, after drawing box one, the $14 chance led all the way to defeat the then track record holder Lektra Stomp in the first Group Listed event to be run at Tara Raceway.
For Portland trainer Brian Weis, who picked up $15,000 for the win, it was his second Mount Gambier Cup success after Drone had won the $3000 event in 2009.
And with a Calcutta collect of $4180 to play with, the Bungaloo Syndicate was now on the lookout for a performed greyhound.
Eventually they settled on a three-start maiden bitch by Dyna Double One x Springvale Cool. For $2000 they had themselves a racing dog called Springvale Alysa, a bit of change left from the Calcutta winnings and were about to embark on the ride of their lives.
By the time Springvale Alysa was retired at the end of November 2019 she had raced on 68 occasions for 22 wins, 14 seconds and 11 thirds for $27,000 in prize money.
A year later she whelped her first litter – three dogs and three bitches by Fabregas. The whole exercise was a real hands-on affair. Kongorong-based Little whelped the litter down, then reared the pups prior to later breaking them in at Tara Raceway’s Wednesday and Saturday morning trials.
Five of the pups raced and won – Bungaloo Josh, Bungaloo Darcy, Bungaloo Rachele, Bungaloo Brooke and Bungaloo Shane collectively successful on 27 occasions.
Then in May 2022 Springvale Alysa whelped her second and final litter, this time six dogs and three bitches by SA sire On Fire, a winner of 40 races.
And for John Little another hands-on exercise, once again spanning many months, was to follow.
The 2024 Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup Calcutta will be conducted on Friday, April 5 at Tara Raceway, commencing at 6 p.m.
Tickets are expected to be on sale in the race day office from this Sunday for $1 each or $80 for $100. They will also be on sale on the night of the Calcutta.
Meanwhile, the bare back wall of the kennel house which had greeted trainers when they entered Tara Raceway has been given a facelift.
This had been a long-time project of the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club and in the end it was Greyhound Racing SA CEO Bodelle Francis’ parting gift to the local track.
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Liam rocks in the pool
Penola-based Liam Sharam, 13 – a regular at Tara Raceway’s Sunday race meetings – did pretty well at the recent Interschool Swimming Carnival – a few second placings and a win in record time in the Junior Boys Freestyle relay team.
“Not bad for someone who got out of bed like a walking zombie this morning and wasn’t keen to swim today,” said proud mum Pat.
As far as greyhound racing is concerned, young Liam looks to be following in the footsteps of his dad Stuey, vineyard manager at Hollick Wines in the Coonawarra, and Pat who, as a young couple, had raced dogs out at the Glenburnie track.
Fast forward 25 years and Stuey and Pat are back at the greyhound track – this time at Tara Raceway on Lake Terrace East and this time with Liam in tow.
And such was the renewed interest, it wasn’t long before all three had licences that would allow them to handle greyhounds at the track – owner-trainer, handler and catcher.
According to Stuey, the Compton-based Tracie Price kennel had got right behind the Sharam family in its bid to once again become actively involved in the sport.
“Tracie and his team were really good, allowing us to box and handle their greyhounds in front of the stewards in order that we could once again become licenced,” he said.
“Mind you, I have to say things have changed somewhat from those days out at Glenburnie when the filling out of a form was about all that was required in order to become a trainer.”
On frequent trips last year out to the Price kennels, Liam had become particularly taken with a big four-year-old brindle dog by Fernando Bale out of Rhonda Rocks who raced as Donny Rocks, an 11-race winner.
In passing, Price had mentioned to Donny Rocks’ Adelaide-based owner Ron Murch that there was a young lad regularly coming out to the kennels and how keen he was on the dog.
“If he’s that keen, tell him he can have him,” said Murch.
Well, it didn’t take Donny Rocks long to find his way up to the Coonawarra. That was in October and by the time he had wrapped up the year with a win on December 24, he had won another six races.
And earlier in the day on December 24 Liam caught his first winner – Wild Milly for Tracie Price.
Meanwhile, after a couple of quick Pick 6 payouts of $430 and $170 in June and August last year, the Trackside Pet Meats-sponsored competition has worked its way up to a handy $370.
Capped at $500, the Pick 6, which incorporates races 3 to 8, is free to all on-course patrons and reverts to $100 once won. It then jackpots by $10 a week.
For long-time greyhound man Richard Clayfield, of Glenroy, his $170 Pick 6 collect was his first since the competition was introduced in 1997.
Other Pick 6 winners in recent times have been Daniel Giersch, Kevin Jones, Steve Patzel, Kevin Patzel and Kerry Hawker.