With the box draw conducted on track last Sunday for the $25,000 Federal Hotel Anniversary Cup final (512 metres) to be run on Sunday, Ben Divirgilio couldn’t have been happier after Utter Madness came up with box two.

Trained at Lewiston by Nicole Price, Utter Madness had drawn box seven in the first of five heats. Divirgilio, together with Maddie Schulz, made the trip down to handle Price’s runners but had expressed some concern over the wide draw.

But he needn’t have worried. Going out of the first turn, the black and white dog was in front and from then on never looked in any danger of defeat when defeating All Mucked Up by three lengths in 29.60 seconds – the second-fastest of the heats.

By Aussie Infrared out of Easy Choice, Utter Madness, formerly based in Victoria, joined the Price kennels in October last year. He has now won a further 17 races on SA’s four tracks.

Fastest time in the Anniversary Cup heats was recorded by Paw Winder, who had been coming off an unplaced run behind Organised Crime in the Group 2 Horsham Cup final over 485 metres.

Trained at Avalon by Rebecca Gibbons, the son of Orson Allen and Yahiro Bale settled in second spot early from box three before taking the lead down the back straight from another Price runner in Nola Keeping.

And Paw Winder, who goes into the final as the youngest runner, finished off the race strongly for a 4¾ length win over the early leader in 29.54 seconds.

Handling the winner was Mark Johnson, back with the Gibbons team after a stint out on his own. Actually, back in 2023 he handled the Mount Gambier Cup winner in Titan Blazer for them.

The Anniversary Cup, first conducted in 1985, is also nothing new to him either. Back in 2024, when training in his own right, Johnson won the local event with Fireworks.

Back at Tara Raceway again last Sunday was Lara trainer Danielle Smith with Gorringe who ran third in the final of this year’s Mount Gambier Cup in April.

Away fairly from box three in the second heat, the daughter of Bernardo and Patriot Earhart moved into second spot behind tearaway leader Destroying before finishing strongly in the run home for a 4¼ length win over High Cube in 29.89 seconds.

And flying the flag for the locals is Compton trainer Tracie Price who won the final heat with Compton Gold – the daughter of Beast Unleashed and Minnie Banjo leading all the way for a 5¼ length win over Prison Break in 29.91 seconds.

He also has Statue Of Time engaged in the final and will be looking to add to an already impressive Anniversary Cup record. In 2020 he was successful with Spring Cuervo and then followed up in successive years with Tandiki and Giant’s Flash.

Never Ever Late ran right up to his name in heat four of the cup after settling well back from box five in the early stages of the race. But the blue dog finished the race off strongly when defeating Statue Of Time by 1¾ lengths in 29.98 seconds.

He’s owned and trained at Anakie by Josh Formosa who still recalls his first visit to Tara Raceway as a six-year-old.

Boasting interesting bloodlines, Never Ever Late is by Irish sire Ballymac Cashout. His dam, Cool Bourbski, is a daughter of Fernando Bale x Bourbski Fever and a winner of 19 races and $138,000 in prize money.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day three heats of the John Reid Memorial Maiden/One Win series were run over 305 metres. The first two placegetters in each heat advanced to Sunday’s final.

In the first heat, Costly Habits, a son of Hooked On Scotch and Emerald Hill – who took 21 starts to open his winning account back in May – quickly found the front from box five before running out a 5¼ length winner over Bourne Reagan in 18.00 seconds.

Stepping in for Rowsley trainer Matt Lanigan was his father Gerald who handled Canya Guru in the second heat for Adelaide owners The Triple Bogeys Syndicate.

Having his fifth start after winning a maiden at Shepparton in early July, the son of Bernardo and Cayenne Model virtually led all the way from box seven when scoring a 4¾ length win over Saint Kylie in 17.79 seconds.

Hamilton-based Lorraine Goodwin, who trained the winner of the first heat, was successful again in the third and final heat with the Matt Kerr owned Magpie Spice, a daughter of Fernando Bale out of One More Burn.

Having her fourth start, the white and black bitch was always on the pace from box one and in a keenly contested finish Magpie Spice held on to beat Mary Lee by a nose with a further head back to Inga Noah in 18.25 seconds.

It had been a while since Mortlake owner-trainer Shaun Baulch had last trained a winner at Tara Raceway. In fact, it had been with a greyhound called Mrs. Watson back in October 2022.

Recently back on a regular basis for the Thursday time-graded meetings at the Mount Gambier track, Baulch broke the drought last week with a well-bred maiden give away by the name of Hit Reset.

The July 2024 black dog lined up from box seven in the Federal Hotel Stake (305 metres) after having been unplaced on three occasions last month at Sale and Warragul.

But it was Cap Abbott’s runner-up Cadillac Snoop who led the way from box two before figuring in a terrific three-way finish with eventual winner Hit Reset and third-placed 31-start maiden Major Envy, owned by Mark Roberts and trained by his wife Cath.

On the line, Hit Reset had a head to spare over the minor placegetters who were separated by only a nose in a time of 18.05 seconds.

By Allen Deed, the winner – who had been in Baulch’s kennels for only a week – is out of Amnesty, a winner in 2021-2022 of eight races from 40 starts at Sandown Park, The Meadows and Ballarat.

The day wasn’t a total write-off for the second and third placed trainers, though, with Abbott successful with Crowie Unleashed and Cath Roberts with Rose Champagne.

Crowie Unleashed, a son of Beast Unleashed and Minnie Banjo, led all the way from box one in the Gordon Refrigeration TG5+W Stake (305 m) when defeating Jazzy Boo by 1¾ lengths in 17.86 seconds.

And in the Pindari Express @ Stud TG1-4W Stake (400 m), Rose Champagne – having her first start over the 400 metre journey – quickly found the front from box two before running out a 4¾ length winner over Compton Zirconia in 23.27 seconds.

Also bred by Roberts, two-race Mount Gambier winner Rose Champagne is by US sire Kinda Cruel Red out of Nyssa’s Girl, who raced on 128 occasions for 11 wins and 34 minor placings at Geelong, Ballarat, Warrnambool and Mount Gambier.

Other winners from her February 2024-whelped litter are Bragging Rights, Collective Kaos and Major Jealous.

Meanwhile, Rough Girl Slim, owned and trained at OB Flat by Noel Perry, is making up for lost time after being sidelined at the beginning of November until the end of March this year.

Stringing together two wins soon after her return in April, Rough Girl Slim was back among the winners last Thursday. Running down Fantastic Ada in the home straight, she scored a 1¼ length win in 23.24 seconds in the Collins Court Butcher TG5+W Stake (400 m).

The daughter of My Redeemer and Vossy – a litter sister to another successful local producer in Perseverance – has now won 10 races.

 

STUD SERVICES TO COMPLEMENT RACING IN AUGUST

The Bernie Burrow @ Stud Best 8 race over 512 metres, which will carry a service to Bernie Burrow, will highlight racing at Tara Raceway on Sunday, August 9.

Winner of the 2024 Group 1 Hobart Thousand and Tassie Gold Cup, the black dog is a son of Bernardo and My Gal Penny.

“A winner of 21 races and $184,000 in prize money, Bernie Burrow went everywhere and won everywhere during his 48-start career,” said syndicate manager Nick Cutri. “We are extremely happy with the response to him at stud. And everyone is raving about the quality of his pups.”

And on Sunday, August 16 and Sunday, August 23, the Ferness @ Stud Grades 5/6 heats and final series will be run over 512 metres. This will carry a service to Ferness.

Ferness, a son of Fernando Bale and Princess Kiwi, won 15 races and $177,000 in prize money. One of his racing highlights was a win in the 2025 Richmond Derby.

Meanwhile, Greyhound Racing SA (GRSA) informs participants of a change in the Preferential Box Draw (PBD) racing that is now to be trialled at nominated Tara Raceway meetings as from August. This will be based on early racing patterns identified by IsoLynx data.

PBD racing seeks to place competing greyhounds into boxes that best suit their racing characteristics (particularly in the early stages of racing) in an effort to improve racing safety outcomes and reduce the risk of injury.

As far as the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club is concerned, PBD racing will commence at time-graded meetings conducted at Tara Raceway on Thursday, August 13 and Thursday, August 27. All greyhounds nominated (including maidens) will be placed in a PBD event – no reserves.

Compton-based trainer Tracie Price and his daughter Sarah will be hoping their in-form greyhound Pinky Rocks can continue on her winning way in a heat of this Sunday’s $25,000 Federal Hotel Anniversary Cup (512 metres) at Tara Raceway.

Contesting last Sunday’s Federal Hotel Mixed Stake (512 m), Pinky Rocks displayed plenty of early pace from box six when leading all the way for a two length win over another genuine Anniversary Cup contender in Kia Keeping in a quick time of 29.36 seconds.

For the June 2024 daughter of Tommy Shelby and Rock It Barcia, it was her fourth successive win. During June she won over 400 metres at Tara Raceway by 13½ lengths in a near-record time of 22.54 seconds.

Pinky Rocks then followed up with a 512 metre win in a quick 29.54 seconds before venturing to Murray Bridge where she won over 455 metres at the end of the month in a best of day time of 25.46 seconds.

The Mount Gambier Anniversary Cup was first run out at Glenburnie in 1985 when won by Hazel Lane’s Kenzel Lad. And the first Anniversary Cup run at the Lake Terrace East venue was won by the Col Sims trained Becker McLaren in 1997 in a time of 30.28 seconds.

Price boasts an impressive record in the cup. In 2020 he was successful with Spring Cuervo in 29.77 seconds. He then followed up in successive years with Tandiki (29.75 seconds) and Giant’s Flash who equalled his own track record when winning in 29.19 seconds.

And last Sunday was another big day for Price when he ended the day with four other winners as well – Compton Lass, Compton Rocks, Compton To Avoid and Rock It Kathy on the 10-race card. This was the third time this year that he had trained five winners at a local meeting.

Kicking off the meeting was the Klaassens Contractors Mixed Stake over 600 metres which resulted in littermates Big Boy Jett and Blue Moon Marie fighting out the finish for local owners Noel Miller and Peter Lamond and Koroit trainer Peter Keane.

Always on the pace, Big Boy Jett, who had run third the previous week over 600 metres to Duran Pantera, defeated his sister by 1½ lengths in a time of 35.33 seconds. Early leader Weblec Shiralee, trained at Springton by Maddie Schulz, finished a further three lengths back in third spot.

Big Boy Jett and Blue Moon Marie are by Blue Moon Rising out of 2019 Mount Gambier Cup winner Galactic Athena. The litter also includes Robert Chuck’s locally owned Galactic Nemesis, a winner of 23 races.

According to long-time trainer Keane, there’s quite a story surrounding Blue Moon Marie, who together with her litter brother had been purchased as a pup from Worrolong breeder Steve Bartholomew and reared by Miller.

“Actually, Blue Moon Marie kicked off her racing career in pretty good style,” he said. “From her first five starts she won two races at Warrnambool over 390 metres and 450 metres.

“Then the rot set in after she fell at her next start at Warrnambool. We doubted whether she would ever race again but 12 months later she resumed. Finishing down the line at her first two runs back, we persevered and in May, much to our delight, she won over 512 metres at Tara Raceway.”

Keane said he would now weigh up his options as far as the 600 metre Eric Lewis Memorial at Tara Raceway on Anniversary Cup final day on Sunday, July 19 was concerned.

He also had Typhoon Thomas, at 5½ years of age the oldest runner engaged in the Greg Martlew Autos Stake (305 m), a Masters race for greyhounds around four years of age and older.

But it was Cadillac Belle, at five years of age, and with 102 starts to her name, who led all the way from box five and defeated 109-start veteran Harry Chana by two lengths in 17.75 seconds for Edenhope trainer Kerry Hawker of Cadillac Racing.

By Aussie Infrared out of Marlise Bale, Cadillac Belle commenced racing at Tara Raceway back in October 2023 when defeating Mr. Tandiki over 305 metres in a time of 18.05 seconds.

And later in the day, Cap Abbott, the other half of Cadillac Racing, was successful with Bali Unleashed in the Icon Signs Stake (512 m).

By Beast Unleashed x Minnie Banjo, the black bitch chased Lektra Sting and Ollie Limes into the home straight before finishing powerfully for a length win in 30.67 seconds.