THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8 (Time-Graded): Nominations close at 9 a.m. (SA time) on Tuesday, October 6 with GRSA. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11: Nominations close at 9 a.m. (SA time) on Wednesday, October 7 with GRSA.
WEDNESDAY (9.30) TRIAL MORNINGS: Please book through trialbooker.com by 4 p.m. on the day prior. SATISFACTORY TRIALS: Please contact (08) 8243 7100 and speak with GRSA stewards.
When it comes to the training and breeding of greyhounds in South Australia, Compton-based Tracie Price leads the way.
The latest figures for this year released by Greyhound Racing SA (GRSA) have Price as the leading TAB Trainer with 193 winners and the leading SA Breeder with 220 winners.
And sharing the leading SA Brood Bitch statistics are Price’s Rhonda Lily and Rock It Barcia with 55 winners each.
A three-state winner, Rhonda Lily had whelped her first litter of nine, by Bernardo, at the end of May 2024. But Rock It Barcia had struggled somewhat with her 13 pups by Tommy Shelby which had followed soon after.
Fortunately, though, Rhonda Lily managed to save the day after stepping in and helping out with the feeding of Rock It Barcia’s litter.
Rhonda Lily, a daughter of Banjo Boy and Paua To Avoid, raced on 101 occasions for 19 wins and 41 minor placings. In April this year she whelped a second litter – four dogs and four bitches by Feral Franky.
And at last Friday’s Murray Bridge meeting, the Price-trained Rock It Roger, a son of Tommy Shelby and Rock It Barcia, scored a seven length win over 395 metres in 22.62 seconds.
With 161 winners this year at Tara Raceway meetings, he holds a commanding lead on the leading trainers’ list and will win his fifth consecutive local title this year.
Earlier in the day, Penola trainer Stuart Sharam was successful up the straight over 300 metres with Head For Home who scored a 3½ length win in 16.60 seconds.
Noel Perry (right) with Trading Halt who defeated kennelmate Rough Girl Ruby, handled by Shane Flink, in the Greyhoundtips.com.au Stake (305 m).
Meanwhile, at last Thursday’s Tara Raceway time-graded meeting, Trading Halt and Rough Girl Ruby ran the quinella in the Greyhoundtips.com.au TG5+W Stake (305 metres) for OB Flat owner-trainer Noel Perry.
Both greyhounds had been lining up for their 50th starts and it was Trading Halt who led all the way from box eight. Rough Girl Ruby chased the leader throughout for a 2½ length second placing in 17.55 seconds.
By Aston Dee Bee out of Cleo’s Neo, Trading Halt’s win was her seventh at the track and Perry’s 19th for the year at Tara Raceway.
German Creek trainer Kevin Patzel, who collected a $50 meat voucher last month after Ivory Pygmy had won the Collins Court Butcher Stake, picked up another one at last week’s meeting.
Kevin Patzel with He’s A Tycoon, winner of the Collins Court Butcher Stake (400 m).
This time it was with He’s A Tycoon, the son of Hooked On Scotch and Christmas Magic chasing Linda Lou for much of the journey before finishing the stronger for a three-quarter length win in 23.23 seconds.
A Collins Court Butcher Stake is run at the weekly Thursday meetings with connections of the winner receiving a $50 meat voucher donated by Collins Court Butcher, 174 Jubilee Highway West, Mount Gambier.
Litter brothers Trackman Tim (No. 1) and Brian fight out the Cadillac Racing Stake (305 m).
And in what was a real family affair, litter brothers and kennelmates, Trackman Tim and Brian, fought out the finish of the Cadillac Racing TG1-4W Stake (305 m) for Elysia Bartholomew and her father Steve.
By Tommy Shelby out of Galactic Destiny, Trackman Tim led all the way, holding on to win by a nose in 17.65 seconds.
Participants and followers of local greyhound racing should keep in mind that there will be no racing at Tara Raceway on Thursday, October 22 or trials on the previous day, due to track renovations. Racing will recommence on Sunday, October 25.
However, November will be a big month for local greyhound racing with heats and final of the Trackside Pet Meats Spring Classic to be run on Sunday, November 1 and 8
For greyhounds whelped on or after July 1, two years prior, last year’s $10,000 classic over 512 metres was dominated by the Phil Lenehan-trained Lektra Beta, Lektra Solo and Lektra Unhinged who filled the placings.
Following on from the Spring Classic will be the time-honoured Newman McDonnell Memorial which last year celebrated its 40th anniversary.
The winner was the pint-sized Littlefoot, owned by sisters Deb Hicks and Elysia Bartholomew. And, perhaps fittingly, the daughter of Blue Moon Rising and Galactic Athena had been handled on the day by the girls’ father Steve Bartholomew.
He had also handled Newman McDonnell’s Tara Topar way back in 1981 when the black dog won the first Mount Gambier Cup conducted out at the Glenburnie racecourse.
