New Year starts with a bang at The Mount
Trengove’s A-Team on track at Tara
Lewiston trainer Clint Trengove’s decision to bring down some of his better greyhounds to Mount Gambier for last Sunday’s Category 2 meeting paid dividends when Bruisin’ Bull, Bedrock Will, Paua Of Silence and Anasazi Monelli were all successful.
This had been the former Broken Hill trainer’s best day at Tara Raceway since March last year when he had won with Gypsy Boy, Zipping Loxley and Racey Kasey at a Thursday time-graded meeting.
Bruisin’ Bull kicked Trengove’s day off in winning style – albeit narrowly – when leading all the way in the Progreyhoundtips.com Stake (400 metres) and defeating Barra Banjo by a nose in 23.49 seconds.
Now a winner of 10 races, the blue dog is by Blue Moon Rising out of Stitch ‘em Baby, an eight-race short course winner – one of those wins over 400 metres at Mount Gambier in November 2019.
With four runners engaged in the Greg Martlow Autos Stake (600 m), Trengove looked to hold a strong hand, especially given that Bedrock Will had won at Angle Park and Gawler over 595 metres and 643 metres respectively.
And that’s how the grade 6 race played out. Bedrock Will never looked in any danger of defeat after quickly finding the front from box six before running out a 7¼ length winner over kennelmate Daisy Maisy in a time of 35.70 seconds.
By My Redeemer, the winner is out of Dashing Dee Dee – a well-bed daughter of Cosmic Rumble and Little Looper – who was a middle-distance winner both at Angle Park and Gawler.
Paua Of Silence was always going to be hard to beat in the Carlin & Gazzard Mixed Stake (512 m), especially if he could recapture some of the Sandown Park 515 metre 29.33 seconds form that he had displayed in May last year.
But the son of Sennachie and Paua To Admit – and a great-grandson of the former terrific race bitch Paua To Burn – had spent most of the last half of 2023 in recovery mode at Broken Hill with Wade and Chad Hipwell.
Paua Of Silence joined Trengove’s kennels in early December and after a 30.94 seconds satisfactory trial over 530 metres at Angle Park he followed up with a win in 31.04 seconds.
It’s probably fair to say that Trengove probably wasn’t quite expecting what was to follow on Sunday afternoon come the seventh race and after he had placed the 35 kilogram black dog in box eight.
What did happen was that Paua Of Silence simply exploded from the boxes, crossed down to the rails and was never ever going to be beaten. On the line he had 7¾ lengths to spare over Here To Burn after running a quick 29.69 seconds.
Wrapping up a pretty good day for Trengove day was Anasazi Monelli who also led all the way from box eight in the Exchange Printers Stake (512 m) when defeating In The Bug by 3½ lengths in 30.01 seconds.
In Trengove’s kennels since October, the daughter of Fernando Bale and Corona Monelli quickly strung together six wins on the trot at Angle Park and Gawler for Munno Para owner Lena Dureikina.
Following were a couple of misses at Angle Park but it took only to last Sunday for Anasazi Monelli to bounce back and give her trainer four winners for the day.
Actually, it could have been his best day ever at Tara Raceway although with the number of Trengove trainers in circulation keeping a tally can be a little confusing. After all, Jack Trengove (Clint’s nephew), will be at Tara Raceway on Thursday with 20 runners for the time-graded meeting!
Meanwhile, following a disappointing stint in Victoria which resulted in six unplaced runs, Paw Some Storm bounced back at Tara Raceway last Sunday with an all the way win in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Open (400 m) over Compton Yap in 22.94 seconds.
By Bernardo out of Dusseldorp, Paw Some Storm is raced by Jason Newman and Dave Green and trained by the latter at Millicent.
On track to enjoy the win were Green’s wife Keston and daughters Kaia and Hadlie. And there were celebrations all round. Not only did Paw Some Storm win but the family also celebrated Kaia’s 11th birthday.
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Fast Forward to take on a new look
The monthly Fast Forward time-graded 1-4 wins heats and final series over 400 metres will undergo a change in procedure after the running of this Thursday’s final at Tara Raceway for lower grade greyhounds.
As is the case at all Tara Raceway time-graded meetings, the Fast Forward – generally comprising four eight-dog heats plus reserves – is also graded worst to best.
However, the Fast Forward final, which carries Category 2 (Sunday) prize money, then takes the fastest eight from the heats, irrespective of finishing position.
Generally, the final heat (in theory the one containing the fastest greyhounds) will throw up the majority of finalists. In fact, it is not uncommon for the first heat to produce no finalists.
And that was the case last week when the final heat, the Todd’s Photographics TG1-4W Stake, supplied four finalists. The first heat, the Metal Worx TG1-4W Stake, provided no finalists.
Captain Rosie, owned and trained at Allendale East by David Peckham, took the Fast Forward time honours after gaining a start as a reserve in the final heat and running out a 9½ length winner in 23.03 seconds. By US sire Superior Panama, Captain Rosie is out of 21-race winner Sweet On Me.
Earlier in the day Peckham had been successful with Captain Rosie’s litter sister Bourne Sarah who at only her second start defeated Secret Wishes by 6¼ lengths in the Winning Post Supplies Maiden Stake (305 m) in 17.66 seconds.
Late last week the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club (MGGRC) spoke with Greyhound Racing SA (GRSA) Racing Manager Shaun Mathieson in relation to the Fast Forward time-graded 1-4 wins heats and final series over 400 metres.
More specifically, the discussion centred around a perceived unevenness relating to the four or more heats which tended to favour the later races given those runners’ time-based ratings.
After some discussion, Mathieson came up with the suggestion that the 400 metre monthly Fast Forward heats and final for 1-4 wins greyhounds still be graded worst to best but the series be limited to only two eight-dog heats with reserves.
He said the fastest eight greyhounds would still advance to the Category 2 prize money final the following week while the remaining 1-4 wins greyhounds would be placed in one-off time-graded 400 metre races.
“Using last week’s time-based ratings at Mount Gambier as a guide, if we had run two heats then the ratings for the 20 runners (including reserves) would have commenced at 14.25 and concluded at 9.75,” Mathieson said.
“And with the other heats commencing at 9 and ending at 5.5 you can see there is a fair discrepancy between the first and final heats. Anyway, we’ll give the 1-4 wins time-graded 400 metre two heats a go next month and see how they work out.”
The only Fast Forward winner last week to miss out on a run in the final was Rise As One who clocked 23.96 seconds when scoring a three length win over Cawbourne Dior in the first heat.
But Glenroy trainer Richard Clayfield wouldn’t have been too concerned given that he had been trying for six months to win a race with the son of Hooked On Scotch and Majestic Tale.
Clayfield’s last win had actually come at a Sunday meeting on July 16 last year with Katoni, by Magic Sprite and an older half-brother to Rise As One.
And the long-time trainer put his most recent success down to a change in training tactics leading into last week’s race.
“Most of Rise As One’s work had been confined to walking and weekly racing at the track so I decided to slip in an extra run during the week and trialled him ‘box to box’ on trial morning at Tara Raceway,” Clayfield said.
“He certainly didn’t break any track records in the trial but following the hit out he did seem to run out his latest race somewhat better.”
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Another record-breaking year for Price
Compton trainer Tracie Price’s record-breaking 2023 kicked off with a treble on New Year’s Day at Tara Raceway with Jayville Zoe, Ebby Tock and Donny Rocks. And his year ended with four winners on New Year’s Eve – Wilder, Starvin’ Marvin, Compton Charlie and Minh Ellie.
In what had been a busy year for Price, throughout the 12 months he had also led in 32 doubles, 21 trebles, four winners on nine occasions as well as three bags of five winners on June 18, August 27 and September 3.
Price, who turned 60 last month, 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.
Price, who in partnership with wife Karen also sponsors the weekly Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Jackpot, was leading trainer again in 2022 with a record-breaking 181 winners prior to his 2023 tally of 194.
Among his 194 winners were Honey Rocks (Summer Classic), Bad Move (Cadillac Racing Cannonball), High On Life (Peter Whitehead Memorial Maiden) and Mister Banjo (Christmas Cup).
The 115-start veteran chaser 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 and trained 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, Hawker’s pride and joy’s seven wins were enough to get him over the line given he had also run 21 seconds and nine thirds.
The year prior had seen Nero Valentino finish fourth in the GOTY award behind Departure Gate, Giant’s Flash and Rhonda Lily. On that occasion he had won nine races but recorded considerably less minor placings.
Meanwhile, it was good to see Coleraine owner-trainer Bob Wombwell, after a year of health issues, back at Tara Raceway for the final meeting of the year with a few of his Sennachie x Serene Rose litter which he also bred.
He was chasing his first Tara Raceway win since July 16 when Eskimo Roman had defeated Compton Charlie by 5¼ lengths in a maiden 305 metre event in 18.17 seconds.
As it turned out, Eskimo Sugar gained a start from box two as a reserve in the Carlin & Gazzard Stake (400 m). And Wombwell had been reasonably confident after the fawn bitch had drawn in close.
“Yes, I thought once she drew the two that she would be some sort of chance,” said the long-time trainer whose involvement with Mount Gambier greyhound racing goes back to the Glenburnie days.
And Eskimo Sugar never looked like being beaten when leading all the way for a 4¼ length win over Lynette Ann in 23.35 seconds.
Wombwell said Serene Rose had won two races at Mount Gambier over 400 metres and 512 metres prior to injuring a hock.
“So far this is her only litter but I’m keen to breed again given that there are a couple of pretty handy ones in the litter now being trained for me in Victoria by Steve White who also had great success with the sire Sennachie.
“Eskimo Roger has won nine races and $41,000 in prize money while Eskimo Larry is an 11-race winner and has collected $28,000 in prizemoney.”
Wombwell said White was now considering this month’s Traralgon Cup with the litter brothers.
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Cadillac Racing to take on major sponsorship role
Edenhope-based Cadillac Racing next month will take on the role of major sponsor for the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club (MGGRC).
In making the announcement last week, MGGRC president Noel Perry expressed the club’s sincere thanks to Captain Abbott and Kerry Hawker of Cadillac Racing for their valued support.
He also acknowledged the club’s previous major sponsor, Carlin & Gazzard, who will continue on as a club supporter.
“It certainly gives the club much pleasure in welcoming on board Cap and Kerry as our major sponsor. This, of course, will see the 2024 Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup (512 metres) – run on April 7 and 14 – carry Cadillac Racing naming rights.
“Also, the club thanks Carlin & Gazzard for its valued support over the past two years and is most appreciative that C&G will continue to be involved with the MGGRC.”
Cap Abbott’s involvement in greyhound racing goes back to 1968 and a dog called Grand Brigadier who he said had given him a good start in the game.
“Later, a handy distance dog called Kwik Boy came along and in 1974 a Melbourne Cup with the 26-month-old Kwik Metal,” he said.
Between 1980 and 1998 the Victorian-based Abbott worked as a panel beater and dairy farmer before relocating to Edenhope in 2004. He’s been a Tara Raceway regular ever since.
He rates his best greyhound as White Arrow, the daughter of Tina’s Jo and Cape Arrow winning 25 races at Mount Gambier, Warrnambool, Angle Park, Horsham, Sandown Park and The Meadows.
In more recent times, Black Spring won the 2019 Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year while two years later Another Pick also won the GOTY.
For Kerry Hawker, her involvement goes back to the 1980s out at Glenburnie where she worked as a steward alongside Michael Robinson – no longer an official but still a regular at Tara Raceway.
Interestingly, the pair renewed acquaintances in 2016 when racing a greyhound called Gentle Moment who had been trained for them by Dean Fennell.
Hawker moved to Edenhope four years ago and proceeded to set up Cadillac Racing with Abbott. These days she’s training 17 of her own greyhounds.
Cadillac Racing is now really starting to take shape.
“New kennels and yards, to cater for an ever-growing number of greyhounds, have been completed as have fenced galloping yards,” Abbott said.
“Also, we now have on the property a fully fenced greyhound education circuit (aka “bullring”) which we are finding to be invaluable when it comes to the education of young pups.
“Then, of course, there’s Kerry’s dog rug cupboard. There’s certainly no way any of our dogs will ever go cold!”
Cadillac Racing wrapped up a pretty good year at Tara Raceway last Sunday after Mister Cadillac and Gladki were successful in their respective races – the Gambier Vets Grade 5 final (400 m) and the Progreyhoundtips.com Stake (400 m).
Chasing five consecutive wins, Mister Cadillac, a son of the UK-bred Magical Bale out of Koa Lass, settled in third spot from box eight and took a rails run off the back before going on for a 1¼ length win over Aston Piston in 23.14 seconds.
And judging by Gladki’s performance, the son of Fernando Bale x Go Lassie Go appears to have recovered from a recent operation following his all the way win over the Hawker-trained Kerry’s Cadillac in a personal best time of 23.07 seconds.
Collectively, Cadillac Racing ended the year with 133 winners – Abbott 77 and Hawker 56.
Cadillac Racing’s year also included the Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year with Nero Valentino and the Leading Dam with Pamela Rocks – the daughter of Barcia Bale and Punk Rock Lass producing 42 winners at Tara Raceway Thursday and Sunday meetings.
By Fernando Bale out of Sweet Barbados, Nero Valentino – who turned five on Christmas Day – was purchased by Hawker in June 2022 for $2000. During 2023 he registered seven wins, 21 seconds and nine thirds for a total of 75 points – 13 clear of Redshift Uniform.
The Mount Gambier GOTY is scored only on Category 2 (Sunday) meetings. Points are allocated on a 3, 2, 1 basis for 305 metre and 400 metre events and 4, 2, 1 for races over 512 metres, 600 metres and 732 metres.