February 2025 whelping Mocambora Jack brought up the first winner for the Hooked On Scotch x Mocambora Izza litter at last Thursday’s Mount Gambier time-graded meeting.

The white and blue dog was having only his second race start at Tara Raceway on the back of a third placing in a heat of the previous Sunday’s John Reid Memorial Maiden/One Win feature (305 m). And he led all the way from box eight when defeating Cinta’s Gold by two lengths in 17.93 seconds.

By My Redeemer out of Raz’s Girl, Mocambora Izza won 16 races at Tara Raceway and one at Warrnambool prior to whelping the litter out at David Peckham’s Allendale East kennels.

Scott Blacksell, who is based at Cape Bridgewater, retained four of the litter – subsequently broken-in at Koroit by Peter Byrne.

“Our pups have been a bit of a mixed bag,” Blacksell said. “And after putting in quite a bit of time with our four on trial mornings at Tara Raceway, Mocambora Jack is the one who has pleased us most when running third on debut prior to winning last week.”

And in case anyone is wondering about the Mocambora tag attached to Blacksell’s dogs, it is a rural locality and geographic area located south of Casterton which also encompasses private farming land.

Mortlake owner-trainer Shaun Baulch, back among the local winners for the first time in while a couple of weeks ago with Hit Reset, followed up again with Napier Bale in the Trackside Pet Meats TG5+W Stake (400 m).

Lining up for start number 153, the 5½-year-old son of Dyna Villa and Dyna Winter brought up win number 22 when finishing strongly and defeating early leader Compton Bowie by a length in 23.28 seconds.

Enjoying another successful day last week at Tara Raceway were Meningie-based Tim Richards and Tanya Bialek whose day kicked off with a win by Ritza Wotton in the Federal Hotel TG5+W Stake (512 m).

Trained by Richards and owned by Bialek and Millicent-based Mark Dwyer, Ritza Wotton landed his second consecutive 512 metre win in as many weeks when leading all the way from box one and defeating a fast finishing Oregon Caldwell by a half-length in 29.84 seconds.

Then, in the Greg Martlew Autos TG5+W Stake (305 m), the Richards owned and trained Jazzy Boo led all the way from box two, holding on for a head win over Tracie Price’s Compton Shelly in a time of 17.78 seconds.

But for Price it was still a pretty good day after Compton Stella, Compton Zirconia, Compton Copy and Compton Ava were successful for the Compton-based trainer.

Compton Stella quickly found the front from box four in the Greyhoundtips.com TG5+W Stake (305 m) before running out a 5¾ length winner over Cadillac Landau in 17.64 seconds.

In the following race, the Metal Worx TG1-4W Stake (400 m), Compton Zirconia also quickly found the front from box eight when defeating Nulla Danny Boy by 2½ lengths in 23.58 seconds.

And for Compton Copy it was win number 19 after she led all the way from box four in the Williams Crane Hire Stake (400 m). Scoring by five lengths, she defeated Ivory Pygmy by five lengths in a best of day 23.06 seconds.

Wrapping up yet another successful day for the leading trainer was Compton Ava who virtually led all the way from box one in the Klaassens Contractors TG1-4W Stake (305 m). On the line she had 3½ lengths to spare over litter brother Compton Baker in a personal best 17.39 seconds.

But, as it turned out, Price’s day wasn’t over just yet.

With SA racing rules requiring greyhounds to complete a satisfactory trial and obtain a veterinary certificate after having been off the track for 60 or more days, Price had opted to race two of his dogs that were in that category at Warrnambool later that night.

“The dogs in question were Canya Nameless and Huntsman,” he said. “They had both been out for 60-odd days but were certainly ready to race.

“Canya Nameless had been off the scene after sustaining a minor injury while Huntsman’s time out had been as a result of a tail injury which necessitated about three inches being of his tail being removed.

“It’s always pretty tough over at Warrnambool on a Thursday night. Anyway, where possible, a race is always better than a trial so I thought it was probably worth having a crack.”

And it certainly was worth having a crack after both dogs raced on the pace and both won their respective 390 metre races to give Price six winners for the day.

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.