With 119 starts to his name, Magic Tom certainly doesn’t have any trouble finding his way around Mount Gambier’s Tara Raceway – especially given that’s the only track he’s ever raced on.
Whelped in March 2022, the son of Bernardo and Saint Maddie, commenced his racing career over 305 metres in August 2023 and won his maiden over 400 metres for Glencoe owner-trainer Dean Fennell in November of that year.
His past 92 starts have all been over 512 metres with his most recent win coming at last Thursday’s time-graded meeting in the Williams Crane Hire TG5+W Stake.
Magic Tom was always on the pace from box four before taking the lead from Weblec Polly down the back and running out a three-quarter length winner in 29.95 seconds. All told, he has now won 13 races and run 37 minor placings.
Meanwhile, some of the greyhounds who figured prominently in the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s Autumn Classic final on May 10 once again performed well in last Thursday night’s Howard Ashton feature (530 m) at Angle Park.
The Tim Richards trained Big Diesel, a son of Bernardo x Rhonda Lily, defeated Tony Hinrichsen’s Lil Rex (Bernardo x Lily Pad) in the Autumn Classic. Finishing fourth was She’s A Jumbo, also trained by Richards, and Big Diesel’s litter sister.
Then, in the Howard Ashton final Lil Rex finished strongly when defeating She’s A Jumbo. Running third was Compton Gypsy, also by Bernardo x Rhonda Lily and bred and raced by Tracie Price of Compton. And giving Bernardo the first four in the Howard Ashton final was Big Diesel.
And back at Tara Raceway on Thursday afternoon was another of the Bernardo x Rhonda Lily litter in Jetson. The black dog led all the way in the Ontrack Insider TG5+W Stake (400 m) when defeating Lenny Limes by 2½ lengths in 22.91 seconds for Ben and Tracie Price.
Dunolly-based Rick Boehm, a regular at Mount Gambier’s Thursday time-graded meetings, finally broke through again last week with Miracle Man in the Sealeys Springworks TG1-4W Stake (400 m).
The white and brindle son of My Redeemer and Avatar Minty quickly found the front from box two and then turned the tables from a fortnight ago on short-priced favourite Lektra Lee for a 1¾ length win in 23.33 seconds.
For Miracle Man, the win was his third overall from 40 starts and his first this year after a win at Tara Raceway back in early December last year.
The day started well for Linda and Rob Gore of Warrnambool after littermates Our Girl Selkie and Moonlight Haze fought out the Quickmix Concrete Group Maiden Stake (305 m).
By Fernando Bale out of My Girl Kizzy, it was a case of the $15 chance Our Girl Selkie upsetting her short-priced $1.40 brother when leading all the way for a 1¾ length win in 17.71 seconds.
Later in the day, the Rob Gore owned and trained Moonlight Grand gave nothing else a chance in the Collins Court Butcher TG5+W Stake (305 m) when leading all the way from box five for a 6½ length win over Just Johnnie in a time of 17.44 seconds.
Training honours for the day went the way of Hamilton-based Lorraine Goodwin who was successful with Lie To Me in the Federal Hotel TG5+W Stake (305 m) and Energy To Burn in the Cadillac Racing TG5+W Stake (305 m).
Lie To Me, a son of Bernardo and Habits To Burn, chased Compton Lass – having her first start since last October – into the home straight before finishing the stronger for a three-quarter length win in 17.56 seconds.
And Energy To Burn, by Beast Unleashed out of Storm To Burn, quickly found the front from box one before scoring a comfortable two length win over Saint Bree in 17.61 seconds.