Trainers double-up at Tara Raceway
Trainers double-up at Tara Raceway
It was a day of doubles last Sunday for Victorian and local trainers Garry Anders, David Peckham, Tracie Price and Catherine Roberts who combined to win eight of the 12 races on the Tara Raceway card.
For long-time greyhound trainer Garry Anders of Koroit his double with litter brothers Chester Deeds and Ollie Deeds was his third at the Mount Gambier track this year and took his overall tally of local wins to 14.
By Sennachie out of Beaut Deeds, Chester Deeds kicked off Anders’ winning day when leading all the way from box one in the Commercial Hotel Mixed Stake (400 metres). On the line he had a length to spare over kennelmate Mr. Deeds in a time of 23.24 seconds.
Later in the day, Ollie Deeds also led all the way from box one in the Carlin & Gazzard Stake (400 m) when defeating Saint Tay, trained by fellow Koroit trainer Peter Byrne, by 1¼ lengths in 23.14 seconds.
The Trainers’ Challenge, a non-penalty 1-4 wins series over 400 metres for greyhounds trained by past and present Tara Tipsters, turned out to be a keenly contested affair.
Aston Blend, trained at Terang by Christian Roberts, and Bourne Franky, owned and trained at Allendale East by David Peckham, shared the lead throughout. But in the run home it was the latter that got up to score by a half head in 23.32 seconds.
By Feral Franky out of Sweet On Me, the winner is a brother to the Peckham part-owned and trained Bourne Model who won the Winter Classic in August at Tara Raceway. Third place in the Challenge was filled by Bourne Sid, a half-brother to the winner and raced in the same interest.
And such was the competitiveness of the added money event, only 2¾ lengths separated the six-dog field on the line.
Aston Apatite, having her first start at the track for Peckham, brought up the trainer’s second win of the day in the Cadillac Racing Stake (400 m).
The daughter of Fernando Bale and Aston Crystal settled in second spot behind Eskimo Larry before taking the lead turning for home and running out a two length winner over Bob Deeds in 23.37 seconds.
Peckham said he was now looking to race Aston Apatite over more ground.
“Initially, she had a seasonal issue but she now seems to be pretty right,” he said. “Prior to coming down here she had won over 570 metres at Temora and in September ran second over 720 metres at Wentworth Park.
“She obviously can run over a bit of ground so hopefully we’ll be able to find a few suitable races for her in the not too distant future.”
Ben Price, standing in for his Compton-based father Tracie who is currently on holidays, was successful with Sean’s Matilda in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Stake (512 m) and in the following race with Wild Milly.
Sean’s Matilda was having her first 512 metre start after winning on debut last month at Tara Raceway over 400 metres prior to four handy short course runs at her home track, Gawler and Murray Bridge.
And she came out running from box eight to quickly take the lead over Aston Mai Tai before leading all the way for a length win in a smart 29.84 seconds.
She’s a daughter of Beast Unleashed and Minnie Banjo, Tara Raceway’s 400 metre record holder with a time of 22.42 seconds. So far, her first litter of two dogs and eight bitches, whelped in March 2023, has produced seven individual winners.
Wild Milly, following a win a fortnight ago in the Newman McDonnell Memorial, bounced back in the Produce Store Mixed Stake (512 m) when finishing strongly to defeat Lightning Pest by a length in 30.15 seconds.
Lektra Damian, a giveaway greyhound after winning a maiden in June at Tara Raceway, won his first race for Terang-based Catherine Roberts who trains the son of Feral Franky and Lektra Rainbow for her husband Mark.
The black dog settled in second spot behind Just Divine in the Winning Post Supplies Stake (400 m) before taking a rails run off the back and finishing strongly for a 2¼ length win over the early leader in a quick 22.95 seconds.
“I certainly didn’t see that coming,” said a surprised Mark Roberts in relation to the winning time.
And Lektra Tony landed his second consecutive win at Tara Raceway for Catherine and Mark Roberts when quickly finding the front in the Gordon Refrigeration Mixed Stake (400 m) before running out a 1¾ length winner over Aston Cayenne.
The chicken comes home to roost
Portland trainer Nifty Lenehan certainly couldn’t be accused of rushing any of the Orson Allen x Cryer’s Harper litter into a race before they were ready.
After all, Mama Chicken, who turned three years old this month, was lining up in last Thursday’s Winning Post Supplies Maiden Stake (305 metres) at Tara Raceway at what was only her second race start.
The brindle bitch had kicked off her career earlier in the month when well beaten over 305 metres by 12¼ lengths.
But it was a different story last week when Mama Chicken, who jumped from box seven, settled in third spot behind early leader Aston Chief before finishing strongly in the home straight for a three-quarter length win in 18.07 seconds.
The win was the second for the litter after Mushy had been successful at Tara Raceway in May over 305 metres.
By Spud Regis out of Cryer’s Midget, Cryer’s Harper won 22 races at Tara Raceway for her trainer, the late Tom Cryer of Apsley.
Ironically, it was the win of Cryer’s Harper’s half-brother Cryer’s Ricky in the 2015 Summer Classic (512 m) that carried a stud service to Spud Regis and ultimately resulted in the Group 1 winner being used for Cryer’s Midget’s third and final litter.
A second litter out of Cryer’s Harper is by the US sire Kinda Cruel Red. Whelped in June 2022, the six dogs and one bitch are yet to be named.
There have been a few rough results at recent Tara Raceway meetings. And last week it was Cadillac Jilly who had race caller Liam Mulry bemoaning the fact that the previous week he had selected the daughter of Stagger and Jilly Be Brave when she finished fourth.
Chasing her fourth win at start number 56, the Captain Abbott trained brindle and white bitch managed to keep out of trouble when racing wide and defeated Beast Storm by a length in the Carlin & Gazzard TG1-4W Stake (305 m) in 18.26 seconds.
Cadillac Jilly, last a winner back in June over 305 metres at $18, took her winning starting price to a new level when successful at $51.
The Commercial Hotel TG1-4W 8-dog final (400 m), which carried first prize money of $1065, turned out to be a bit of a messy affair.
But the Peter Byrne owned and Dean Fennell trained Saint Sally, a $13 chance, put herself in the right place at the right time and chased hard to the line for a 3½ length win over Turning Oak in 23.73 seconds.
Ironically, Saint Sally, a daughter of Tommy Shelby and Mepunga Prue, went into the final for the Glencoe-based Fennell having qualified as the eighth fastest runner of the two heats in a time of 23.93 seconds.
The litter was bred at Koroit by Byrne and also includes Grand Tourer, a winner of 19 races and $80,000 in prize money. And last Saturday night the brindle and white dog contested a heat of the Melbourne Cup (515 m) at Sandown Park for trainer Kelly Bravo.
Complementing the 400 metre final was the Cadillac Racing TG1-4W final over 512 metres. Originally set down to be run as a heats and final series, a one-off $1,215 to the winner final was run due to insufficient nominations being received.
And in what was another rough result, Yadillah Warrior, owned and trained at Portland by Robert Halliday, was a strong winner over Rough Girl Mel by 2¾ lengths in 30.35 seconds.
Odds-on favourite Rough Girl Mel opened up a handy break early while Yadillah Warrior, yet to win over 512 metres in 17 starts, settled in third spot down the back.
Yadillah Warrior ($14) then made his move off the back and in the home straight the son of Raw Ability and Sea Mist finished strongly to bring up his third win in 27 starts.
Meanwhile, the six-month trial of Best to Worst time-graded meetings on the first Thursday of each month will conclude in December.
The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club said this week that participant response had suggested the Worst to Best time-graded format worked better when it came to the placement of lower-grade greyhounds at Tara Raceway Thursday meetings.
A day at the dogs brings back memories for hotel’s venue manager
Toni Trabilsie, venue manager since June of the Federal Hotel – one of the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s valued sponsors – called into Tara Raceway last week to witness the running of the Federal Hotel Stake (400 metres).
She also caught up with some of the hotel regulars who also happen to be regulars at the twice-weekly afternoon greyhound meetings on Lake Terrace East.
And forget the spelling, because the winner of the race, Lektra Tony, was obviously quite appropriate. These days, raced by husband and wife team Mark and Cath Roberts, the son of Houdini Boy and Lektra Jena has now won five races since relocating to Terang.
The fawn dog also ran a terrific race when beaten 1¼ lengths by Fireworks in this year’s Mount Gambier Anniversary Cup (512 m) in July.
Speaking after the running of last week’s Federal Hotel Stake, Toni said she had many fond memories of attending greyhound racing meetings at Angle Park as a youngster.
“My pop, Steve Trabilsie, was right into greyhounds. In fact, he raced Festival Sal in partnership with Des Saint and in 1986 she won the Greyhound of the Year when trained by Jack Godfrey.”
Also catching up with Toni on the day was another Terang trainer in Paul Herry who tells us he purchased a pack of 10 thank you cards and so far has used two of them to thank race sponsors at Tara Raceway.
“Back in May I won a Federal Hotel Stake with a greyhound called Drop Fifty. And without sponsors we wouldn’t have a meeting so in appreciation I sent a thank you card and a scratchie to Toni at the Federal Hotel,” Paul said.
“Then, about a month later, I won with Rose Of Terang, the race being sponsored by Chris Klaassens of Klaassens Contractors. So I also sent him a thank you card and a scratchie.
“And it was certainly good to be able to catch up with Toni and thank her personally for her involvement with the club.”
CATCHING UP WITH AN EVER-POLITE FORMER PARTICIPANT BY DAVID LEWIS.
Meanwhile, when my wife Ruth and I relocated some years ago to Naracoorte from Adelaide, locals Jim and Maureen Biggins were actively involved in greyhound racing and regularly made the 200 kilometre round trip to race in Mount Gambier.
They coursed greyhounds, raced at the Glenburnie race course’s Tara Raceway and later at the current venue on Lake Terrace East.
One of their better greyhounds was Gannet Supreme, the 1992 Greyhound of the Year and a winner of 16 races from 48 starts. A son of Gannet and Powder’s First, he was bred by Maureen in March 1987.
Age-wise, there wasn’t all that much difference between the Biggins or us. But that never stopped the ever-polite Maureen from always referring to us as Mr and Mrs Lewis.
By the time we moved to Mount Gambier in 2009, Jim and Maureen’s involvement in greyhound racing had slowed down. Jim passed away on December 25, 2022 while Maureen still resides in Naracoorte.
She appeared from around the corner of the clubhouse at last Thursday’s Tara Raceway meeting only to encounter the “bench boys” seated on the wooden benches that had been donated to the club at a time the Biggins had been involved.
Down in the Mount for the day, Maureen had decided to drop in and check out the racing at Tara Raceway. Making her welcome was the head “bench boy” Michael Robinson, chief steward when the Biggins were racing greyhounds.
I was seated alongside the “bench boys” when the greeting came. “Hello Mr Lewis. Is Mrs Lewis in the office?” Nothing had changed.
But it was nice to catch up again with Maureen. Sorry, maybe I should rephrase that – it was nice to catch up with Mrs Biggins.