It’s taken a while, but at race start number 32 What Odds Billy finally broke through for his first win last Sunday at Tara Raceway in the Metal Worx Maiden Stake over 305 metres.

A give away greyhound, picked up by Terang owner-trainer Paul Herry prior to breaking-in, the son of Good Odds Harada and Shim’s Heart recently switched trainers and is now with Princetown-based April Janssen – Herry’s daughter.

Lining up from box one, What Odds Billy was the outsider of the four-dog field. But the brindle dog defied the odds when quickly finding the front and hanging on for a one length win over Costly Habits in a time of 18.02 seconds.

This was a win that had been 11 months in the making for Herry. And after the race it had been a toss-up who he had made him the prouder – his daughter or What Odds Billy!

Janssen is somewhat of a regular at Tara Raceway and has done well locally with Princetown Flyer and also Swift Gift who reached the final of this month’s Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup final.

Meanwhile, Poke Salad Annie strung together three consecutive wins at Tara Raceway after leading all the way from box two in the Federal Hotel Stake (400 m) and having three lengths to spare over Major Queen in a quick 22.65 seconds.

Raced by Peter Carter of Horsham, Poke Salad Annie is trained at Penola by Stuart Sharam who took her over in late January. And by necessity, she’s yet to race at any track except Tara Raceway.

“The problem Peter found when training her in Victoria was that she wasn’t running into the catching pen at the end of her races,” Sharam said.

“I’d been racing over at Horsham a bit and got to know Peter. He asked me if I would be interested in giving her a go at the Mount Gambier track which these days doesn’t have a catching pen but operates with a finish-on-lure system.

“And she hasn’t done too much wrong since relocating, winning four of her five races at Mount Gambier. Last Sunday’s effort over 400 metres was a really strong effort in good time and signalled a step-up to 512 metres.”

By Bernardo, Poke Salad Annie is out of Reinforcements who won 13 races and more than $50,000 in prize money when trained by Carter.

This is a litter that also includes Lightning Quick, a recent winner over 730 metres at The Meadows, Lightning Speed, a 515 metre Sandown Park, Needs Space an Angle Park 530 metre winner and Air Speed who has won his past two at Horsham and Warrnambool.

There’s not too much wrong with Reinforcements’ breeding either. She’s by Barcia Bale out of Bobby Soxer, a daughter of Fernando Bale and Rhonda Rocks – a terrific litter that also includes Sennachie, a winner of more than $700,000 in prize money.

Fast approaching at Tara Raceway is the second running of the Autumn Classic, a $10,000 age-restricted series over 512 metres for greyhounds whelped on or after January 1, 2024. Heats will be run on Sunday, May 3 with the final on May 10.

Last year’s inaugural event was won by Galactic Nemesis, a daughter of Blue Moon Rising and Galactic Athena. She is owned locally by Robert Chuck and trained at Finniss by Lauren Harris.

Filling the minor placings were Peter Crawley’s Vixen Force and High Cube, trained by Robert Halliday.

Last Sunday’s Ontrack Insider Mixed Stake (512 m) certainly looked to come up with a classic contender in the form of the Tracie Price trained Compton Lizzie, a daughter of Bernardo and Rhonda Lily.

A May 2024 whelping, the black bitch quickly opened up a big break before running out a 7¼ length winner over Magic Tom in a quick 29.59 seconds.

But Magic Tom’s trainer, Dean Fennell, took out the training honours for the day after earlier winning with Saint Ella and Compton Bowie.

Saint Ella, a daughter of My Redeemer and Mepunga Stellar, led all the way from box two in the Williams Crane Hire Stake (305 m) and held out Bert Deeds for a half-length win in 17.68 seconds.

And Compton Bowie quickly found the front from box four in the Greg Martlew Autos Stake before holding out Tested for a half-head win in 23.31 seconds. This was the first win over the 400 metre journey for the son of Feral Franky and Perseverance.

Following the running of four heats of the $115,000 TAB AGRC Anniversary Cup (530 metres) at Angle Park last Thursday night, Compton trainer Tracie Price now has three runners – Compton Rocks, Capybara and Compton Gold – in this week’s final.

The trio all finished second in their respective heats with Compton Rocks, a daughter of Tommy Shelby and Rock It Barcia, finding the front from box eight before being beaten two lengths by Barefoot Zulu in 30.34 seconds.

Capybara, by Fernando Bale out of Nangar Gold, settled in third spot in her heat before eventually going down by 1½ lengths to Nola Keeping, also in 30.34 seconds.

And box six runner Compton Gold (Beast Unleashed x Minnie Banjo) chased home Mallee Beauty, eventually beaten by 2¼ lengths in a quick 30.08 seconds.

The Anniversary Cup final box draw took place at the track later that night and Price didn’t fare too badly – 1 Compton Rocks, 2 Barefoot Zulu, 3 Black Noir, 4 Capybara, 5 Nola Keeping, 6 Mallee Beauty, 7 Victa Krev, 8 Compton Gold. Res. Woodside Johnny, Zelda Covilha.

Meanwhile, at Tara Raceway’s Thursday afternoon time-graded meeting, Price kicked off the day with a win by Wild Star – a member of the successful Need My Moneynow x Wild Marilyn litter – in the Commercial Hotel TG5+W Stake (400 m).

The black dog led all the way from box one and brought up win number 16 when defeating former kennelmate Crowie Unleashed by 2¼ lengths in 23.24 seconds.

Later in the day, in the Federal Hotel TG1-4W Stake (400 m), Compton Baker, a kennelmate and litter brother to Anniversary Cup finalist Compton Rocks, led all the way from box two for a 2¾ length win over Miracle Man in 23.27 seconds.

The Sealeys Springworks TG1-4W Stake (305 m) wrapped up a successful first half of the day for Price with a treble after Held For Ransom quickly found the front from box one before running away to a 4½ length win over Aston Deutz in a quick time of 17.48 seconds.

Also landing a treble was Berringa trainer Michael Niele who was successful with Acoustic Flash, Fernando Lee and Appellant. This was his second Tara Raceway treble this year after Speechless, Rusty Wheels and Fernando Lee had won on March 19.

Acoustic Flash, a daughter of Aston Dee Bee and Acoustic Lee, was having her 105th start last week when lining up in box two in the Cadillac Racing TG5+W Stake (305 m).

Chasing her first win over the distance, she quickly found the front and never really looked like being beaten when holding off Close Shave for a 1¼ length win in 17.99 seconds.

Fernando Lee, a son of Fernando Bale and Acoustic Lee then followed up in the Gordon Refrigeration TG5+W Stake (305 m) with a neck win over Jazzy Boo in 17.68 seconds.

And Appellant, by Plaintiff out of Paua Of Mindy, led all the way from box one in the Quickmix Concrete Group TG1-4W Stake (400 m). He defeated Dimora Bernie by 3½ lengths in 23.12 seconds.

In the Ontrack InsiderTG1-4W Stake (305 m), Painswick trainer Sandra Elmes landed her second Mount Gambier winner this year after $30 chance Classy Willow railed through in the home straight for a narrow win over Saint Kylie in 18.18 seconds.

By Tommy Shelby out of Pink Martini, Classy Willow has been with Elmes for all of its 52 starts and has now won five races. In charge of the winner last Thursday was Rick Boehm who was accompanied by his granddaughter Willow, 8, who the winner had been named after.