With on-course race meeting patronage in decline it was certainly refreshing to witness a crowd resurgence at the running of the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s 46th Cup at Tara Raceway last Sunday.

The Mount Gambier Cup has certainly come a long way since its inaugural running back in 1981 when the winner was Joan Cruise and Newman McDonnell’s Tara Topar. Back then, the cup was run over the May holiday weekend.

In 1997 local greyhound racing relocated to its purpose-built track on Lake Terrace East where the Ralph Patzel trained Ashanti Gem won the first cup run over 512 metres in a time of 30.64 seconds. Later, the event switched to March-April, with heats and final a week apart.

This year, complementing the $50,000 Trackside Pet Meats Mount Gambier Cup and the Federal Hotel Cup Consolation were the Commersh Masters (305 m), the Ontrack Insider Open Maiden (305 m), the Produce Store Open (400 m) and the Quickmix Concrete Group Distance (732 m).

The Commersh Masters, for greyhounds 3¾ years and older, saw Wario – an April 2021 whelping and the oldest dog in the race with a phenomenal strike rate of 38 per cent – take the early lead from box seven.

But it was Myola Nick, the second-oldest dog in the race, who railed through off the back before running away to a 2¾ length win over the early leader in a personal best time of 17.51 seconds.

Bred, owned and trained at Purdeet by Annette Kampman, Myola Nick is by Aussie Infrared out of Pocket Queen who won only one race over 660 metres at Bendigo back in 2016. However, her son has now won 21 races and more than $66,000 in prize money.

My Mate Robbie burst onto the scene as a first-starter the previous week in a heat of the Ontrack Insider Maiden Stake (305 m). And the black dog gave nothing else a chance when defeating Super Stitch by 6¼ lengths in a quick 17.61 seconds.

And lining up from box seven in the final for Allendale East trainer David Peckham, he led all the way for a three length win over Miss Peachy in 17.53 seconds.

Owned and bred at Warrnambool by Noel Mugavin, My Mate Robbie is an October 2023 whelping by Fernando Bale out of Grace Ali, a winner of 21 races and more than $239,000 in prize money.

However, for Mugavin the win had been overshadowed by the death last week of his brother Kevin, 62, who had achieved tremendous success as a greyhound trainer over a number of years. He also trained two Mount Gambier Cup winners – Poetic Magic in 2006 and Rich Shiraz in 2012.

Noel Mugavin said that in more recent times his brother had loved nothing better than the two hour trip over to Mount Gambier to race a dog or two.

“Kevin had trained three doubles at the track this year and said he really enjoyed the racing and the people over there.”

Mister Cadillac, owned and trained at Edenhope by Captain Abbott, landed his 30th win at start number 127 when quickly finding the front in the Produce Store Open (400 m) and defeating Trading Halt by 4¾ lengths in 22.83 seconds.

For the NSW-bred son of Magical Bale and Koa Lass, it’s been another good start to the year for the white and brindle dog who in 2024 shared the Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year award with his kennelmate Top Cadillac.

And last year Mister Cadillac finished second in the GOTY award behind Wind Whiskers after winning 12 races and accumulating 23 minor placings.

Finniss couple Lauren Harris and Ryan Tugwell had no luck in the cup final with Galactic Nemesis but still went home with a winner after former Victorian stayer Nitrous won the Quickmix Concrete 732 metre race.

Jamarra took up the early running with Nitrous quickly settling in second spot. But by the home turn the Harris-trained black dog had hit the front and then held off the fast finishing Compton Rocky for a 1¼ length win.

Based at Finniss since the beginning of the year, Nitrous has now won three staying races – two previously over 730 metres at Angle Park for Tugwell’s Next Racing Syndicate.

By Shima Shine, he’s out of Harlequin Rose, whose dam Soul Dancer had some handy staying runs to her name.

Photos: Ash Penhall.