Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club

Tara Raceway, Lake Terrace East, Mount Gambier, SA

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Cadillac Racing Sponsors of Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing
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The ‘Chase for Charity’ continues at Tara Raceway

The Tara Tipsters have just wrapped up another series of fundraising for a local charity – this time the charity of choice being Mount Gambier’s Ryder-Cheshire Home Foundation.

And proceeds from the series will be presented to representatives of the organisation on Sunday, August 13 at Tara Raceway.

For the unaware, the Tara Tipsters is by and large made up of a group of regular racegoers at the track for the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s weekly Thursday and Sunday meetings.

From humble beginnings a couple of years ago the “chase for charity” has grown in stature to the extent that the Ryder-Cheshire series involved more than 20 tipsters.

Top tipster . . . Michael Robinson.

And while vying for nothing more than bragging rights they also were contributing a few dollars each week to the “charity of choice jar”.

Michael Robinson was one of the Tara Tipsters involved right from the beginning. In fact, his involvement in greyhound racing goes back to the Glenburnie days when he was the chief steward.

He’s also been an owner and trainer, was awarded life membership of the MGGRC in 1995 and is currently a committee member.

Robinson won the Tara Tipsters competition back in February 2022 when the Grantville Court Thrift Shop was the charity of choice. And he also won the Ryder-Cheshire series after defeating Craig Grubb by 10 points.

Other Tara Tipsters local charities have been Foodbank, the Visually Impaired Club of Mount Gambier, Four Reasons Why, Claro/Quaran Care, the Mount Gambier Community Christmas Lunch, ADRA and the Mount Gambier Cancer Council.

Meanwhile, Mount Gambier couple Sarah Hutchesson-Webb and Jake Powell’s world earlier this year was turned upside down after their 16-month-old daughter Mia was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs
disease, a rare genetic disorder that affects the nervous system.

And for its next series – commencing on Sunday, August 6 – the Tara Tipsters will join with the Mount Gambier community and throw its support behind the family as they prepare for the harrowing journey ahead.

Mia’s parents are now focused on treating her symptoms to prolong her life and making her as comfortable as possible.

Tay-Sachs disease has no cure and a life expectancy of four to five years.

A change of luck for the Gazelle

Leaping Gazelle made amends for a luckless run in the John Reid Memorial Maiden final when leading all the way at start number three in Thursday’s Greg Martlew Autos Maiden Stake (305 m) at Tara Raceway.

David Peckham and Christine Yourgules with Leaping Gazelle.

The daughter of Aston Duke and Zippy’s Me Mum, who clocked a tidy 17.96 seconds, is raced by Christine Yourgules and David Peckham, and trained by the former who makes a morning 20 minute daily trip out to Allendale East.

And the win came at the expense of Peckham who trains Lynette Ann, beaten 3¼ lengths into second spot.

According to Yourgules, at one stage it had been suggested that Leaping Gazelle be placed in the Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) program. “I said no way, let’s give her a chance because I just know she’s going to be alright.”

Yourgules and Peckham purchased Leaping Gazelle, along with a brother, at 14 weeks of age from Victorian breeder Simon Mallia.

“The brother is named Always Hope and he’s just about ready to race,” she said.

The flamboyant Yourgules is now back training her own greyhound – for the first time since March 11, 2021 when Billie Burner scored a best of day win over 512 metres at Tara Raceway in 30.01 seconds.

Reid Memorial takes a new direction

Kerry Hawker, Kaia, Hadlie, Shane Flink and Captain Abbott with John Reid Memorial winner Cadillac Ragtop.

The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s long-running John Reid Memorial Maiden took a new direction at this year’s Anniversary Cup meeting.

First conducted in 2005, until this year the memorial had always been run over 512 metres. However, in recent years an apparent paucity of 512 metre maiden greyhounds resulted in the club struggling to frame heats and a final.

So after 18 previous Reid Memorials having been run over 512 metres, this year saw the event programmed as a 305 metre series and attract four heats at the July 16 meeting.

This resulted in an eight-dog final with leading local trainers Tracie Price and David Peckham both chasing further success in the time-honoured event with Compton Charlie and Lynette Ann.

My Pal Houston had been successful in 2015 for the Compton-based Price while Peckham, of Allendale East, won the memorial in 2006 with Bourne Destiny and again last year with Lochinvar Cahill.

But it was Cadillac Ragtop, the youngest runner in the race who virtually led all the way. She defeated Peter Crawley’s Velocity Georgia and Bob Wombwell’s Eskimo Roman by 4½ lengths and two lengths respectively in 17.71 seconds.

Bred at Edenhope by Captain Abbott, Cadillac Ragtop, a February 2022 daughter of Premier Fantasy and Pamela Rocks, is owned and trained by his partner, Kerry Hawker.

“I’m so thrilled to have won my first trophy race,” she said.

“And I still have fond memories of being associated with John (Reid) out at Glenburnie when I used to attend race meetings there with my uncle Alec Steele, the inaugural chairman of the South Eastern Greyhound Racing Club and later a life member – as was John.”

Speaking at the presentation, Reid’s son, Daryl, said the family was now looking forward to making the 20th running of the memorial “something special”.

As it turned out, there was a four-dog maiden 512 metre event on the program which was won in impressive fashion by Abbott’s Top Cadillac who defeated Decent Guy by 2¼ lengths in 30.20 seconds.

Abbott also achieved success back in 2012 when his 25-race winner White Arrow won the Anniversary Cup.

A smashing win in the memorial

Dale and Jude Lewis with Tim Aloisi and Zipping Neutron, winner of the Eric Lewis Memorial.

The Eric Lewis Memorial, first run back in 2014 on Anniversary Cup day, reached a new level on Sunday. This was when the event, for only the second time in its history, was run over 732 metres – and a track record was thrown in for good measure.

And wouldn’t Eric Lewis would have been pleased? After all, he had been a great supporter of distance racing and enjoyed much success with stayers, in particular Kori Arc, a son of Venetian Court x Baratina.

Munno Para owner-trainer Tim Aloisi returned for the memorial with Zipping Neutron, a son of US sire SH Avatar and Zipping Abby. The previous Sunday the fawn dog had won by a staggering 19½ lengths over the 732 metres.

So while Zipping Neutron was always likely to win the memorial, In The Bug, trained at Rowsley by Emily Azzopardi, kept the long odds-on favourite honest in the early stages of the race before he went into overdrive down the back the second time.

On the line the favourite had 11¾ lengths to spare over In The Bug with a further 10½ lengths back to Mick’s Kimmy in third spot. And the winning time of 42.73 seconds was five lengths quicker than Emani Bale’s previous record of 43.10 seconds.

Looking for a staying greyhound, Zipping Neutron was purchased by four-kennel trainer Aloisi and Victorian co-owner John Dimitriadis after they had negotiated with NSW connections – the Hallinan family and trainer Michael Hardman.

“Prior to coming down here to Mount Gambier he had won five distance races in a row at Angle Park. And apart from the fact that we love racing here, the idea was to switch him on at Tara Raceway,” Aloisi said.

Tim Aloisi with Zipping Neutron after his record-breaking run in Sunday’s Eric Lewis Memorial.

“Now we’re looking at the SA National Distance Championship (730 m) at Angle Park on August 10. This will lead into the Group 1 National final at The Meadows on August 26.”

And for Aloisi, last weekend turned out pretty well for the 36-year-old family man who has been involved in greyhound racing for the better part of 10 years – the past four as a trainer.

On the Saturday night Stout Monelli, who he races with Matt Lehman, won a heat of the Sportsbet Grade 5 series (525 m) at The Meadows for Lara trainer Dave Geall.

Then, following Zipping Neutron’s record-breaking win, Aloisi and Lehman were successful with Tara Tears – who has since been sold to Victorian interests – in the Carlin & Gazzard Stake (400 m).

Trained at Trott Park by Damien Bates, the daughter of Goodesy and Freaky Tears had also won the previous week over 512 metres.

“She was one that we chased down to purchase from Michael Ivers of NSW,” Aloisi said. “And it was a case of Damien going out on winner as he is now hanging up the collar and lead for a while.”

Incidentally, the Eric Lewis Memorial once again carried its traditional trophy of a collar and lead, race muzzle and kennel rug.

However, this year the collar and lead was handcrafted by local leather worker and Tara Raceway regular Andrew Earl and kindly donated by Mount Gambier club manager Mark Dwyer.

And representing the Lewis family on track was son Dale, South Eastern Greyhound Racing Club secretary between 1981 and 1983, and his wife Jude.

Peckham emulates father with Anniversary Cup win

Sunday’s Exchange Printers Anniversary Cup presentation at Tara Raceway.

Allendale East trainer David Peckham on Sunday landed his biggest win at Tara Raceway when Aston Ziebell won the Exchange Printers Anniversary Cup (512 metres) in an impressive time of 29.43 seconds.

Celebrating 44 years of greyhound racing in the South-East, this year’s Anniversary Cup, first run at Glenburnie in 1985 when won by the Hazel Lane trained Kenzel Lad, carried record prizemoney of $8000.

And Aston Ziebell never really looked in any danger of defeat when quickly crossing the field from box eight before running away to a 4½ length win over Max Power – winner of last year’s Border Challenge for Dennington trainer Dustin Drew.

Finishing third was Whiskey Chaser, trained at Compton by Tracie Price who had provided the previous three Anniversary Cup winners – Spring Cuervo, Tandiki and Giant’s Flash.

For Peckham, Mount Gambier’s leading trainer in 2012-2014 and 2019-2021, Sunday’s win had been a case of emulating his father, Allen, also a former leading trainer and successful on a couple of occasions in the Anniversary Cup.

Owned by Ray Borda, one of Australia’s leading owners, the 3½-year-old Aston Ziebell has won 22 races since joining Peckham’s kennels in June 2022. All told, the son of Aston Kimetto and Aston Dinnigan has now earned $61,000 in prize money.

“He’d won five races when I took him over last year but he had come with a bit of baggage insomuch that he had copped a 28-day suspension for failing to chase at The Meadows several months earlier,” said Peckham.

“He’s a very reserved type of dog and a decision to race him in a blinkered muzzle I think has certainly improved his racing manners. With the exception of one ‘questionable’ incident at Murray Bridge earlier in the year things have gone pretty well with him.”

But a trip to Ballarat in June for a grade five heat over 450 metres almost signalled the end of Peckham’s Mount Gambier Anniversary Cup aspirations with Aston Ziebell when he received a 28-day stand down for injury.

“Look, there was nothing in it and a couple of weeks later after I requested another veterinary check he was given the all clear to race.”

Peckham said Aston Ziebell’s next target was now the SA National Straight Track Championship over 350 metres at Murray Bridge.

“I’m looking forward to the heats which are on Tuesday, August 1 and the $14,275 final a week later. The Group 3 National Grand Final will then be run at Healesville on Saturday, August 26.”

This was the third year that Exchange Printers has sponsored the Anniversary Cup. And once again Kath Matthias and staff, family and friends threw their support behind what is one of local greyhound racing’s best days of the year.

Off and running in the Anniversary Cup and eventual winner Aston Ziebell (No. 8) is already in a forward position.
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