Nero Valentino’s feel-good story at The Mount
It had been a while since rising five-year-old Nero Valentino had last won a race – back in June, actually, when he was successful over 305 metres at Tara Raceway.
Twelve months earlier, Kerry Hawker, who runs the Edenhope-based Cadillac Racing complex in partnership with Cap Abbott, had purchased the son of Fernando Bale and Sweet Barbados for $2000.
“Cap had been training him at the time for owners Gary and Phil Micallef but after nine wins they were looking to move him on,” Hawker said.
“To be honest, I didn’t really want to see him go. He’s such a lovely dog and besides, I thought the asking price made him a reasonable buy.”
Last Sunday’s Rocks Tavern Mixed Stake (512 m) had Nero Valentino still chasing his first win since the305 metre success. Mind you, the 15 starts since had resulted in 13 minor placings – generating sufficient points to have him leading the Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year award.
And the black dog never looked in any danger of defeat at his 102nd start, leading all the way from box five and ultimately defeating Crackerjack Pop by four lengths in a best of day 29.69 seconds –also a personal best.
“He’s had a terrific year considering he’s now meeting the better dogs at Tara Raceway,” Hawker said. “With five wins, 15 seconds and eight thirds at the track this year he now leads the GOTY award by five points and I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Earlier in the day Abbott’s promising youngster Top Cadillac made the step up in class when taking on a smart field of grade five greyhounds in the Greg Martlew Autos Stake (512 m).
Always on the pace from box eight, the half-brother of former champion stayer Sir Truculent rounded up Buildin’ Rolls off the back before finishing strongly for a 2¼ length win in a personal best 29.74 seconds.
Abbott is now weighing up his options with the January 2022 black son of Feral Franky and Establish.
Mikayla and Maddie Schulz with Midnight Tracker after his 600 metre win last Sunday.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Maddie Schulz landed her first winner as a trainer at Tara Raceway with Midnight Tracker in the Williams Crane Hire Stake (600 m).
The son of Collision and Midnight Starlet took up the running down the back straight before hanging on in a desperate finish with Iverson for a head win in 35.40 seconds.
“Midnight Tracker was given to me by Jack (Trengove) as a birthday present and today was my first win with him,” a delighted Schulz said.
“I’ve now been training since February and currently have 10 in work. Today’s winner was my seventh,” she said. “And my involvement with greyhounds is working in well with my other job as a ranger/fire fighter with Forestry SA.”
Leaving Two Wells at 4.30 a.m., Schulz and her sister, Mikayla, also brought down greyhounds to race for Trengove.
“Seasonal defeated her kennelmate Triangular over 400 metres while Emerley Bruce scored a big win also over 400 metres. Jack should be pleased with the result,” Schulz said.
Skye Made Me, trained at Dennington by Pat Bouchier, made an impressive debut in the Todd’s Photographics Maiden Stake (400 m) when defeating Coastal Value by 10 lengths in a quick 23.04 seconds.
By Shima Shine out of Love Made Me, Skye Made Me is a younger half-sister to nine-race winner Hooked On Love. And Bouchier speaks highly of the October 2021 bitch.
“I pre-trained her and while still very immature I believe she has a bright future ahead of her, especially given that she looks like she’ll run much further.”
Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club president, Noel Perry, currently recovering from a hip operation, had his spirits boosted when Rough Girl Skye was an impressive winner of the Carlin & Gazzard Stake (512 m).
By Dyna Double One out of Lektra Rainbow, Rough Girl Skye led all the way when defeating Cadillac Lloyd by 4¾ lengths in a personal best time of 29.86 seconds.
Perry also bred the litter – Lektra Rainbow a winner of 10 races and $28,000 in prizemoney. She’s by Destini Fireball out of Lektra Angie who won her maiden at Tara Raceway over 512 metres back in November 2012.
--
Training team lands first winners at Tara Raceway
For Rochester training team, Darren Petersen and Aroha Hemingway, the 11-hour round trip to race at last Thursday’s Mount Gambier time-graded meeting turned out to be worthwhile.
Both trainers landed their first winners at the local track after Rocket Ralph and Phantom Patch scored smart wins over 305 metres and 400 metres respectively in best of day times. In fact, they also provided the quinella in both races.
Rocket Ralph, a son of Spring Gun and Daisy Maree, led all the way in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 TG1-4W Stake for Petersen when defeating Hemingway’s Spring Flame by 6¾ lengths in 17.52 seconds.
And the Hemingway-trained Phantom Patch also led all the way in the Produce Store TG5+W Stake, scoring a five length win over Petersen’s Rocky Horror in 22.88 seconds.
The 47-year-old Petersen, involved with greyhounds since he was 14, and Hemingway, licenced for only six months, currently have 24 in work.
“We race only giveaway greyhounds – Rocket Ralph coming from Murray Bridge while Phantom Patch, a son of Walk Hard and Avatar Minty, was previously at Horsham,” Petersen said.
“Phantom Patch has now been with us since July and until recently we hadn’t won a race with him so the plan had been to advertise him as a giveaway. But then he came out and won at Bendigo and Mount Gambier. I reckon we’ll hang onto him now.”
Petersen and Hemingway then made the trip back to Mount Gambier for Sunday’s meeting. No winners but a couple of handy seconds with Buildin’ Rolls and Crackerjack Pop.
Meanwhile, with the fastest eight runners from the two Fast Forward heats last Thursday advancing to this week’s Category 2 prize money final there wasn’t too much separating the majority of runners when it came to overall times.
In the first heat, the Carlin & Gazzard TG1-4W Stake, the Parwan-based pair of Cawbourne Sunny and Cawbourne Baxter fought out the 512 metre event for Lew and Julie Green.
By Cosmic Rumble out of Cawbourne Liz, Cawbourne Sunny made it two wins in succession when finishing strongly and running down his kennelmate to win by a length in 30.38 seconds.
Then, in the second heat, Rocket Ralph’s litter brother Pat The Rat, trained at Allendale East by David Peckham, took over the running from early leader Yadillah Son off the back before running out a 2½ length winner over Moonlight Jack in 30.41 seconds.
The SA Country Cup finalists have now been sorted out with heat winners from Gawler and Murray Bridge and first and second from Mount Gambier’s heat set to clash at Angle Park on Adelaide Cup night on Friday, October 6.
Representing Gawler will be the Ben Rawlings trained Doonan and Universal Value, trained by Mike Wittholz. Local greyhound Federal Command, trained by David Peckham, will represent Murray Bridge as will Lauren Harris’ Kia Ora Lad.
And at Tara Raceway on Sunday afternoon Whiskey Chaser and Spartan Brave fought out the Mount Gambier final for Tracie Price of Compton and Lachlan Mill of Tintinara.
The five-dog race turned out to be a real two-dog war with Whiskey Chaser, a son of Whiskey Riot and Swift Timing, grabbing the win by a neck in 29.76 seconds.
Price will be chasing his second SA Country Cup after the event was reintroduced in 2013 at Gawler and he was successful with the Allan Holmes owned Moorak Hope.
And Price wrapped up Sunday’s Murray Bridge meeting on a high when Cashed Up Johnny went straight to the front from box eight and made a real mess of the opposition in the 395 metre grade five event.