If leading local trainer Tracie Price was ever going to win a Mount Gambier Cup then 2015 had probably been the year.

After all, back on March 1 of that year Who’s Doing What had defeated Bourne Cheeky by 6¼ lengths in a best of day heat time of 29.75 seconds. And then the blue daughter of High Earner and No Recall drew box one in the final.

But, as it turned out, Who’s Doing What never took her place in the final after coming in season. Taking her place had been Lots Of Yap, the daughter of Premier Fantasy and Have A Yap trained at Portland by Ben Boers.

And in the run to the line it had been Lots Of Yap who scored a narrow win over Bourne Again, trained at Allendale East by David Peckham, in a time of 30.05 seconds.

Peckham is another of the leading local trainers still chasing a Mount Gambier Cup win. However, keeping it in the family was his father, Allen, successful out at Glenburnie in 1995 with Argyle Sally.

So fast forward 11 years and once again Price looks likely to be well represented in this year’s $50,000 Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup (512 metres), heats of which will be run at Tara Raceway on Sunday, March 29.

At last Friday’s Murray Bridge meeting, Price and fellow Mount Gambier trainer Noel Perry dominated when winning seven races on the nine-event program.

For Perry, involved in greyhound racing for the past 12 years, his win in race five with Compton Rocky, a son of My Redeemer and Galactic Mojo, had been his first at a track other than Tara Raceway.

Compton Rocky found plenty of trouble on the first turn of the 680 metre event but finished strongly in the run home to score by 1½ lengths over Caribbean Crown in 39.98 seconds.

And from race three onwards it had then been a case of the Mount Gambier greyhounds winning the remainder of the program – Price’s Dolly’s My Mum, Compton Gypsy, Pinky Rocks, Statue Of Time, Minnie’s My Mum and Jetson joining Compton Rocky.

Back at Tara Raceway on Sunday and Price landed another three winners – Trading Halt (now with Perry), Capybara and Honey Zen.

From a Mount Gambier Cup point of view his standout on the day looked to be Capybara in the Ontrack Insider Open Stake (512 m) – only four runners but a quality line-up all the same.

Raced by Damien Smith and Terry Daly of Murray Bridge and Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club manager Tim Lewis, the brindle daughter of Fernando Bale and Nangar Gold led all the way from box three.

On the line she had three lengths to spare over Kyle Goodwin’s Kia Keeping with a further 2¼ lengths back to Dave Green’s Wind Whiskers in a quick time of 29.55 seconds.

Meanwhile, Macarthur trainer Rob Jehu landed an early double last Sunday with Around Outside in the 305 metre maiden and Super Symon in the Klaassens Contractors Stake (305 m).

Having his fourth start, Around Outside virtually led all the way from box one when defeating his litter brother High Cobber by two lengths in 17.91 seconds.

The brothers are by Koblenz out of Mighty Mrs, a winner of five races at The Gardens. The pair was purchased as three-month-old pups in NSW where they were reared before finding their way down to Macarthur.

“They’re raced by the Mick’s Family Syndicate which I manage for my son Tim, along with two grandchildren and their partners. And last Sunday was the syndicate’s first winner,” said Jehu,
whose involvement with greyhounds goes back 55 years.

“And I have fond memories of coursing greyhounds in Mount Gambier and of winning a coursing Mount Gambier Cup with Morning Tears. We also won three SA St Legers in succession,” he said.

In race three, Super Symon, a son of Superior Panama and Rattlin’ Home, looked impressive when leading all the way from box six and defeating Adelaide visitor Vadim Roz’s Specked by 2¼ lengths in a quick 17.43 seconds.

Accompanying Roz down to Mount Gambier last Sunday was Aaron van der Kolk who will undergo a head shave at Angle Park on Thursday, March 26 as part of the promotion for the World’s Greatest Shave.

And he caught up with Jarrad Williams, winner of the most recent Tara Tipsters competition. The Tipsters are also contributing to van der Kolk’s head shave promotion.