It’s now been close to 20 years since Berringa trainer Michael Niele’s Monstropolis, a son of Zealous Guy and Killarney Cue, won the 23rd running of the Mount Gambier Cup (512 metres) at Tara Raceway.
In fact, Niele, one of greyhound racing’s more colourful characters, has been supporting the local club since its Glenburnie days. During 2022, in particular, he has been a regular at the Thursday afternoon time-graded meetings.
Prior to Thursday’s meeting his best day this year in Mount Gambier had been on August 25 when Arrow Bar Teddy, Problem Angel and Reality Pest were successful.
But Niele followed up with another treble last week when Stormin’ Frank, Problem Angel and Gizmo Osti took his tally of wins at Tara Raceway this year to 29.
Feature race of the day, the Carlin & Gazzard MG Mixed Series (400 m) Fast Forward final, brought together the eight fastest greyhounds – irrespective of their finishing positions – from the previous week’s six heats.
Initially, Gizmo Osti had just missed out on a spot in the $1345 final but with the scratching of Cadillac Patch the brindle dog found himself jumping from box two. Niele then had two finalists, Late Mail having drawn box one.
Incidentally, Late Mail, a winner of his previous two starts at the track, had found his way into Niele’s kennels by way of his old sparring partner Robert Halliday of Portland.
By Collision out of Midnight Osti, Gizmo Osti had been chasing his first win since the end of April when taking on a fair sort of field of 1-4 win greyhounds – not the least being the Tracie Price-trained pair of Kinlock Blazer and Honey Rocks.
But it was the $21 outsider Cawbourne Shiny who led the way early over $14 chance Gizmo Osti. And it was Niele’s rising four-year-old that took the lead turning for home and then held out Price’s pair for a neck win in 23.39 seconds.
After consecutive second placings at Tara Raceway over 305 metres behind Gypsy Tony and Jive Queen, Stormin’ Frank was chasing his first win at start number 18 when jumping from box one in the Exchange Printers Maiden Stake (400 m).
It was then a case of the blue dog sitting in second spot behind Barry The Broker until the home turn before running away to a two length win in 23.41 seconds.
Stormin’ Frank is owned by Lynley Parsons of Geelong who bred the son of My Redeemer and Mystic Moon in partnership with her father, Brian.
Mystic Moon raced on 17 occasions for four wins at Shepparton and Ballarat. The daughter of Barcia Bale and Who Told Lindylu is a litter sister to Simon Told Helen, a winner of 26 races and more than $900,000 in stake money and Who Told Stevie (12, $87,000).
Problem Angel, by Magic Sprite and a half-sister to Gizmo Osti, brought up her fifth Mount Gambier win this year for Niele and Temora owner Lorraine Thacker in the Williams Crane Hire 5+W Stake (400 m).
And coming from a long way back before finishing strongly when going down by a length in 23.60 seconds was the Dean Fennell trained Reoffender.
Heats of the next Fast Forward mixed series (1-4 wins) will be conducted over 512 metres on Thursday, December 22. The $1540 final, comprising eight greyhounds running the fastest times in the heats, regardless of their finishing position in those heats, will be on Thursday, December 29.
Meanwhile, Greyhound Racing SA has informed the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club that, subject to nominations, all Thursday time-graded races – with the exception of maidens – will comprise eight greyhounds.