Last Thursday’s greyhound meeting at Tara Raceway turned out to be a successful day for Glencoe husband and wife team Dean and Edna Fennell after they combined to win three races on the nine-event card.

And the treble was sired by Feral Franky, a winner of 24 races and close to half a million dollars in prize money before carving out a successful career at stud.

Two of the winners, Compton Bowie and Magic Poppy, are out of Perseverance, the daughter of Dyna Double One and Miss Freelove winning 16 races at Tara Raceway between 2019 and early 2021 for Dean Fennell.

In 2020 Perseverance won a keenly contested Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year award after defeating Dyna Carnie by one point with a further point back to Keen One in third spot.

She had been so named due to her reluctance to initially chase the lure and the amount of time it took for her to finally switch on. Upon her retirement she returned to her breeder Karen Price of Compton where in October last year she whelped a second litter – this time by Bernardo.

Magic Poppy was the first of Perseverance’s initial litter to race. The brindle bitch defeated Menari Ace over 305 metres at Tara Raceway in 18.04 seconds back in early October 2024.

She’s the only greyhound owned and trained by Edna Fennell, who back in 2021 had won four races at Tara Raceway with King Smiley, a son of Spring Gun and Bekim Lucy’s.

And in last Thursday’s Williams Crane Hire TG5+W Stake (400 m), box six runner Magic Poppy settled in third spot down the back before finishing over the top of the front-running Classy Willow to score by a neck in 23.63 seconds.

In the previous race, the Ontrack Insider TG1-4W Stake (400 m), Compton Bowie, after overcoming an ordinary start from box five, found the front down the back before running out a comfortable 2¼ length winner over Compton Zirconia in 23.49 seconds.

The race was also a Fast Forward final and carried a first prize of $1065.

Compton Bowie is owned by Karen Price in partnership with her husband Tracie who a couple of races earlier had brought up his 100th winner this year at Tara Raceway as a trainer after Canya Feel It defeated Just Johnnie by a length in 23.22 seconds.

Among some of Price’s better days at the local track in the first six months of 2026 had been nine trebles, five meetings with four winners, along with a couple of meetings of five winners thrown in for good measure.

Meanwhile, the Fennell treble kicked off in the Carlin & Gazzard TG5+W Stake (305 m) with Compton Layla leading all the way from box two and eventually running out a three-quarter length winner over Cantara Pearl in 18.00 seconds.

Compton Layla’s dam is eight-race winner Galactic Horizon, a daughter of Paddy Whacker and Galactic Rumball and a litter sister to Galactic Athena, winner of the 2019 Mount Gambier Cup.

Making the trip back to Mount Gambier last week was Ararat-based owner-trainer Paul Hammerstein who was chasing his first win with the well-bred youngster Rose’s Marie, a daughter of Aussie Infrared and Quesna Dee Air.

Following two unplaced runs at Murray Bridge and Horsham, the 30+ kilogram black bitch looked well placed in the Cadillac Racing Maiden Stake (305 m) – a race that turned out to be a four-dog affair.

Although only fairly away, Rose’s Marie quickly put herself into the race when railing through on the turn to take the lead and run away to a 4¾ length win over Pick A Cadillac in a time of 18.13 seconds.

She’s a litter sister to Hammerstein’s white and black 32+ kilogram bitch Exactly Like Dad who has raced on five occasions for four consecutive wins at Healesville, Murray Bridge and Horsham.

PBD TO BE TRIALLED AT TARA RACEWAY IN SEPTEMBER
Preferential Box Draw (PBD) racing is to be trialled at nominated Tara Raceway meetings as from September. This will be based on early racing patterns identified by IsoLynx data.

Put simply, 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 be trialled at time-graded race meetings conducted at Tara Raceway on Thursday, September 10 and Thursday, September 24.

Bushfield greyhound One More Button, a 305 metre winner early last month at Tara Raceway in a quick 17.36 seconds, followed up with a near-record run in last Sunday’s Gordon Refrigeration Open Stake for owner-trainer Gary Lane.

Jumping from box six, the white and brindle 27.8 kilogram dog settled in second spot behind Adelaide chaser Galba Stacey before taking the lead turning for home and running out a 2¼ length winner in 17.22 seconds.

The track record currently stands at 17.20 seconds, run by Wind Whiskers on January 4 this year for Millicent trainer Dave Green. But the record has recently come under attack with the Tracie Price trained Flying Hugo running 17.21 seconds last month.

And according to Lane, One More Button had certainly come a long way since his early trialling days at the track when handlers had been flat out even getting him to walk around the track to the starting boxes.

By Fernando Bale, he’s out of Dynamite Miss, a daughter of Dee Tee whose litter sister Miss Jacovella in August 2015 ran a record 35.08 seconds for Lane at the local track over the 600 metre journey.

The litter sisters were daughters of Mantra Miss who at one time was the 512 metre and 732 metre record holder at Tara Raceway.

Former leading trainer David Peckham, of Allendale East, bounced back with a vengeance with three trebles in June – last Sunday with Bourne Reagan, My Mate Tex and Aston Deutz.

Bourne Reagan, who kicked off her racing career in June with three consecutive second placings at Tara Raceway, opened her winning account in the Commercial Hotel Maiden (305 m). Leading all the way, she defeated first-starter Bluey Baby by 4¼ lengths in 17.88 seconds.

The blue bitch, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Bourne Model, is by Million Dollar Chase winner McInerney – now at stud in Ireland – who sired three litters in Australia with Bourne Reagan his second winner.

And in the Pindari Express @ Stud Stake (400 m), My Mate Tex didn’t have too many problems handling himself in grade six company when leading all the way from box one and defeating Rock It Barcia by three-quarters of a length in 23.14 seconds.

The Noel Mugavin-owned son of Fernando Bale and Grace Ali won on debut earlier in June when defeating kennelmate Bourne Reagan by 1½ lengths in 17.85 seconds. Then, at only his second start last week, the blue dog had run Lady Tsunade to 2¾ lengths.

Mother and son team, Lorraine and Kyle Goodwin of Hamilton, enjoyed another good day at Tara Raceway after Major Queen, Cheques To Burn and Energy To Burn were all impressive winners.

Major Queen led all the way from box four in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Stake (400 m), running out a 2¼ length winner over Rocklea Earle in 22.89 seconds.

A daughter of Tommy Shelby and Princess Kiwi, Major Queen is one of a litter of nine dogs and two bitches who collectively have won $705,719 in prize money – the biggest earner being Winsome Jet with $367,843.

In the Federal Hotel Open Stake (400 m) Cheques To Burn looked pretty good when leading all the way from box three. The win was the daughter of Beast Unleashed and Storm To Burn’s 20th from 90 starts and was her third in succession for June.

Later, in the Sealeys Springworks Stake (305 m), litter brother Energy To Burn quickly found the front from box two before running out a 4¼ length winner over Saint Bree in 17.57 seconds. At the half-way mark of the year the win took the Goodwin team’s local tally of winners to 46.

Meanwhile, during May and early June, local trainer Noel Perry’s stayer Compton Rocky had taken on Lewiston trainer Lucas Trengove’s Oregon Janet on four consecutive occasions over 732 metres at Tara Raceway.

Every time, Oregon Janet had come out on top, though, winning by margins ranging from 10 lengths to as close as one length.

Last week, Perry opted for a change of track and had Compton Rocky engaged over the 680 metre journey at Murray Bridge’s meeting last Friday. As luck would have it, Oregon Janet was also drawn in the four-dog race.

It’s fair to say, Compton Rocky, a son of My Redeemer and Galactic Mojo, did settle a bit closer than usual and always looked some chance even though Trengove’s dog had found the front down the back straight.

And in the run home Compton Rocky finally turned the tables on his arch rival, finishing strongly and grabbing victory by a head in a time of 40 seconds.