Successful run continues for mother and son training team - Mount Gambier Recap
Successful run continues for mother and son training team
Lorraine and Kyle Goodwin, the mother and son Hamilton-based training team, continued on their winning way at Tara Raceway last Thursday when Kiwi To Burn scored a strong win in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Fast Forward TG1-4W final (512 metres).
The blue daughter of Fernando Bale and Princess Kiwi sat in second spot for much of the journey before finishing over the top of Aaron Blake’s Sarah Louise for a three-quarter length win in 30.72 seconds on what was a rain-affected track.
The win took the Goodwin team’s winning tally at Tara Raceway this year to 16.
And as Kyle Goodwin tells it, all things being equal the Fast Forward winner of last week would have moved on long ago.
“Originally we were going to rear Kiwi To Burn and her litter sister Princess To Burn. But we took a liking to the pair and ultimately did a deal and swapped a straw for the pups.
“This is Princess Kiwi’s second litter and it’s not going too badly with a couple of other littermates in Ferness and Pommel Boy both having won six races and prize money of $79,000 and $31,000 respectively.”
The Goodwins took over Princess Kiwi for her third litter which was whelped at the end of February and comprises nine dogs and two bitches – all blue.
“Originally we were going to keep a couple for ourselves but such was the interest in them that we ended up selling the whole litter,” he said.
While Kiwi To Burn failed in her back-up bid at last Sunday’s meeting when finishing second behind Rough Girl Mel in the Metal Worx Stake (512 m), Team Goodwin was successful with Comet To Burn in the Gordon Refrigeration Stake (512 m).
Comet To Burn, a daughter of Aston Kimetto and Slew Left, led all the way from box one and defeated Rough Girl Mel’s litter brother Rough Boy Russ by two lengths in 29.98 seconds.
Earlier last Thursday, Pate Biscuit finally broke through for her first win when leading all the way from box one in the Gambier Vets Maiden Stake (305 m) and defeating Bungaloo Bruiser by 3¾ lengths in 18.36 seconds.
The daughter of Aussie Infrared and Marlise Bale went into the race with four seconds and four thirds from eight starts for Edenhope owner-trainer Kerry Hawker of Cadillac Racing.
“Previously I had purchased her litter sister Cadillac Belle for $4500 and she’s now won six races and $7000 in prize money,” Hawker said. “Pate Biscuit came for $500, named but unraced.”
And last Sunday, Cadillac Belle went down by a half head to Myall Jack in the Ary Sports Bar & Bistro Stake (400 m) in a time of 23.16 seconds.
Meanwhile, the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club will conduct heats and a final of a grade six 400 metre series on Sunday, February 9 and February 16.
The final will be known as the Dexter O’dine Grade 6 with the running of the event preceding a donation from the Tara Tipsters to the parents of the 15-year-old.
Dexter, of Mount Gambier, is gravely ill and his family faces months of waiting to see if he can undergo an Australian first – a double transplant of a kidney and heart in a child.
He is in late stage heart and kidney failure in Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital and such an operation would require months in intensive care after surgery. Once out of ICU, he faces a long stay in Melbourne as an outpatient.
Diagnosed with late-stage heart failure, a heart transplant was not originally planned for Dexter because of fears he wouldn’t survive the surgery.
Now his kidneys are failing, setting him up for the rare double organ transplant. He has two machines operating each half of his heart as he waits to see if his body responds to treatment to be placed on the waiting list.
The Tara Tipsters group, by and large, is made up of regular patrons at the Thursday and Sunday race meetings conducted at Tara Raceway on Lake Terrace East, Mount Gambier.
The Tipsters donate a nominal amount to the twice-weekly competition in a bid to outpoint one another by selecting the most winners on the day over a two-month period. The current charity being supported is the Mount Gambier Cancer Support Group.
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A winning day for Herry and Perry
As far as winners go, Terang trainer Paul Herry’s most recent success prior to last week at Tara Raceway with Drop Fifty had been with the same greyhound at Warrnambool in a maiden over 390 metres at the end of March last year.
Chasing his second win in 66 starts, Drop Fifty was always on the pace in the Federal Hotel Maiden/One Win Stake over 512 metres – a race which, according to the caller, changed complexion 48 times.
But on the line the black dog had a nose to spare over Hotfoot Swizzle. And for Herry it was his first win at the Mount Gambier track since June 1, 2018 when Stockwhip Sally defeated Cap Abbott’s Blonde Barbados by a neck in 30.41 seconds.
That was back in the days when time-graded meetings were conducted at Tara Raceway on Fridays.
Stockwhip Sally, a daughter of Lonesome Cry and Up And Away, had actually won her maiden at Tara Raceway on January 14, 2018 for the then Mortlake-based Herry.
Then, later that day, litter sister Got Some Cheek gave Herry a double when winning the Col and Val Sims Memorial Maiden (512 m) by a head from Bomber Creek who went on to win 16 races for fellow Mortlake trainer Peter Crawley.
Drop Fifty, a son of My Bro Fabio and the city-winning Timtams For Bams, found his way into the Terang kennels as an unnamed broken-in youngster.
“Look, he’s only a bread and butter dog. But really it’s more about the fun you get out of the game – and the people you meet along the way,” said Herry, involved in the sport for more than 50 years.
“In more recent times I also had a bit of fun with Miss Klara, a daughter of Oaks Road and Tarks Nemesis. I purchased her from a Bendigo Ready to Race auction and she was later successful at The Meadows, Geelong, Ballarat and Warrnambool.
“And in late 2017 I also won a couple of staying races at Tara Raceway with Garku Bale, a litter brother to the million dollar stayer Fanta Bale.”
Creating a big impression in the Exchange Printers Stake (400 m) was Rough Girl Slim – bred, owned and trained at OB Flat by Noel Perry.
The brindle bitch had won on debut over 305 metres at Tara Raceway back in February but went into last week’s grade six event on the back of seven subsequent unplaced runs.
However, there was a lot to like about her effort when she led all the way and defeated Aston Connor by three lengths in a best of day 22.98 seconds.
“Both of her wins have come from the one,” Perry said. “By and large she hasn’t had a lot of luck with box draws but did show what she’s capable of when jumping from in close.”
The September 2022 litter is by My Redeemer out of Vossy who won 13 races at Angle Park, Gawler and Mount Gambier. So far three of her litter – Rough Boy Russ, Rough Girl Mel and Rough Girl Slim – have collectively seven races.
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Masters win a real family affair
Adelaide breeder-owner Ron Murch’s generous gifting of one of his performed greyhounds back in October last year has worked out pretty well for the Penola-based Sharam family.
The dog in question was Donny Rocks and ostensibly he had been given to 13-year-old Liam Sharam who had taken a real shine to the 37 kilogram brindle son of Fernando Bale and Rhonda Rocks.
Previously trained at Compton by Tracie Price, Donny Rocks had first become acquainted with Liam and his parents, Stuey and Pat, when they were making frequent trips out to the leading trainer’s kennels.
Later, when Murch learned of Sharam junior’s interest in his dog he was happy enough to sign him over to the family. Taking over the training was Stuey, back in the game after a break of more than 20 years but looking like he had never left.
By the end of last year, Donny Rocks had won six races for his new kennel. And one of those had been the Sharams’ first feature event – the Merry Masters over 305 metres on Christmas Cup day.
Last Sunday, he was chasing his first win this year when lining up from box eight in another feature event for older greyhounds – the Commersh Masters over 305 metres.
Masters events cater for dogs over 3¾ years. Donny Rocks is only a couple of months away from turning five years of age. The oldest runner in the Commersh was Kerry Hawker’s Nero Valentino, now 5½ years of age but last year’s Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year.
The greyhound with the most starts to her name was the Annette Kampman owned and trained Myola Sunrise who was lining up for start number 153.
And Liam Sharam would have been feeling well pleased with himself as Donny Rocks took up the running off the back before striding away to a four length win over Gladki in 17.49 seconds – a good run for a greyhound of any age.
At the other end of the age scale was Kampman’s 18-month-old first starter Myola Thalia in the Winning Post Supplies Maiden Stake (305 m).
Away slowly from box seven, the daughter of Aussie Infrared and Undercover Boss quickly put herself in the race before scoring a head win over Peachy Keen in 18.58 seconds.
“We picked up Myola Thalia as a giveaway about three months ago,” Kampman said. “Prior to racing on the track she had a couple of runs at the coursing in Victoria at Lang Lang, where she was runner-up, and also contested a stake at Longwood.”
Meanwhile, Price brought up his 34th win with members of the Need My Moneynow x Wild Marilyn litter when Wilder led all the way for a 4¼ length win over Rough Girl Slim in the Cadillac Racing Stake (400 m) in a quick 22.90 seconds.
The win was the black dog’s seventh in a 21 start career and gave his new owners Sarah Price, Garry Harding and Brooklyn Winterfield a quick return on their modest investment.
Most successful of the litter so far has been Wild Banker, a winner of 15 races which includes this year’s $10,000 Summer Classic (512 m) at Tara Raceway and the Murray Bridge Straight Track Cup (350 m).
Portland trainer Nicole Stanley flew into Mount Gambier on Sunday afternoon and arrived at Tara Raceway just in time to see her charge My Boy Josh lead all the way in the Exchange Printers Stake (400 m) for a 4½ length win over Cricket Tragic in 23.00 seconds.
She had been among the 53,000 crowd at Adelaide Oval on Friday night who witnessed the Matildas secure a 1-1 draw against China.
A son of Bernardo and Looks Like Turbo, My Boy Josh was also reared at Portland, along with litter brother Keanu Boy Turbo, by Stanley and co-trainer Nifty Lenehan who handled the red fawn dog on Sunday.
“Both dogs have been more than handy for the Shantothemax Syndicate which is managed by Jason Farrell. I had previously trained for the syndicate and they are great to deal with,” Stanley said.
And on a day when the charity-based Tara Tipsters points ranged from a high of 39 down to 21, the last word belongs to Annette Smith, manager of local radio station 5GTRFM.
“People like me down the bottom hold up all those above. I may not know much about the dishlickers but the Tara Tipsters is a terrific concept with the charity currently being supported (Mount Gambier Cancer Support Group) one close to my heart.”