For Edenhope-based Cap Abbott and Kerry Hawker of Cadillac Racing, 2024 ended on a high when kennelmates Top Cadillac and Mister Cadillac shared the Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year award with 57 points each.
And 2025 has also kicked off pretty well after Top Cadillac, a son of Feral Franky and Establish, won Sunday’s Federal 600 final – a 600 metre race originally set down as the main event at the previous week’s Family Fun Day.
But with that meeting thrown into disarray after six races due to the heat, the $6000 Federal 600 final became one of the five races forced into abandonment.
However, Greyhound Racing SA Racing Manager, Shaun Mathieson, moved quickly the following morning, contacting connections of the finalists and subsequently confirming that all but Tappet would contest the race at Sunday’s Australia Day meeting.
The box draw remained the same with reserve runner Saint Raine jumping from box six for Peter Byrne of Koroit.
Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club president, Noel Perry, said the club had been most appreciative of the efforts Mathieson and connections had put in to ensure the Federal 600 final was run.
Purchased by Abbott from NSW as a pup for $8000 at 10 months of age, Top Cadillac is a younger half-brother to former top SA stayer Sir Truculent who won 48 races and more than $440,000 in prize money.
Ideally drawn in box one, Top Cadillac virtually led all the way in Sunday’s final and held a two length break over Aston Hornet on the line with a further 2½ lengths back to Wild Milly in a time of 35.20 seconds.
Whelped in January 2022, Abbott’s black dog has now raced on 58 occasions, accumulating $45,000 in prize money from his 24 wins and 15 minor placings. And while he has also raced at Angle Park, Sandown Park and Horsham, all Top Cadillac’s wins have been at Tara Raceway.
The Australia Day meeting at Tara Raceway went pretty well. All winners – and Federal 600 placegetters – received a boxed Australia Day Medal, engraved on the back with MGGRC 2025 and space provided for engraving of the winner’s name.
Making presentations were MGGRC life members Steve Bartholomew, Michael Robinson and Bill Ward who made a welcome return to the track. Also presenting medals were MGGRC president Noel Perry and secretary Ruth Lewis.
And Cadillac Racing, the club’s current major sponsor, was represented by Abbott who also assisted with the presentations along with Tracie Price, Mount Gambier’s leading trainer and MGGRC committee member.
Also on course for the running of the Federal 600 final was Toni Trabilsie of Mount Gambier’s Federal Hotel.
Australia Day medal winners leading up to the Federal 600 were Littlefoot (Elysia Bartholomew), Sokita (David Peckham), Unique Destiny (Steve Bartholomew), Ringer’s Girl (Peter Franklin), Cadillac Ragtop (Kerry Hawker) and Bourne Nancy (David Peckham).
Federal 600 medal winners were Top Cadillac (Captain Abbott), Aston Hornet (Dustin Drew) and Wild Milly (Tracie Price). And Energy To Burn (Kyle Goodwin) and Imposter (Paul Hammerstein) wrapped up a winning day.
One winner to post his appreciation of the day on social media was Mortlake trainer Peter Franklin who was successful with Ringer’s Girl in the Todd’s Photographics Mixed Stake (600 m).
Franklin, one of the gentlemen of greyhound racing, thought the Australia Day medals were a great concept and proudly posted a picture of his medal.
Meanwhile, March promises to be a busy month at Tara Raceway. Sunday, March 9 will be something a little different – a twilight meeting commencing at around 4 p.m. This is to work in with Murray Bridge which will be running its Murray Bridge Cup meeting during the day.
The twilight meeting will feature the Connie Miller Open (400 m) which will be followed by a presentation to be made to the winner of the Connie Miller Service Award.
The twilight meeting will also feature the $3000 Grade 5 Tara Twilight Stake, which will be run over 512 metres.
Then on Sunday, March 16 heats of the Tankman Dual Distance over 512 metres will be conducted. The following Sunday will feature the $3500 Tankman Dual Distance final (600 metres).
And Sunday, March 30 will feature the $3000 heats of the $36,000 Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup (512 m) – first run in 1981. Also on that day will be heats of the Winning Post Supplies Formula 400 (400 m).
