Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Jack Casey was at Tara Raceway last Sunday, the designated driver for Penshurst trainer John Burow and his greyhound Good Yarn.

But Casey, well known to Sky viewers around Australia through his demonstrative actions at the finish line fence after a race, somehow seemed to be off his game – something just wasn’t right.

Eventually, he vented his displeasure. “That bloody big turd just inside the fence is really annoying me,” he said.

Next, he perused a race book. “Just as I thought, there’s no turdologist listed among the race day officials.”

So the honorary patron of the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club – well, he is now – grabbed the “pooper-scooper” leaning against the fence and embarked on a one-man “clean up Tara Raceway” campaign centred on the parade ring.

But Casey probably got more than he bargained for as he started on his clean up campaign, soon discovering there were a few more dog droppings in the vicinity than simply the one that had been annoying him by the fence.

The job didn’t last long, though, because the “pooper-scooper” was soon full. An ideal opportunity, as it turned out, for Casey to hop in to the clubrooms and grab some of the $14 that was being offered about his travelling companion and eventual winner Good Yarn.

Monday, February 12, 2018

The all-important box draws for feature event finals run by the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club at Tara Raceway are now being conducted by a Greyhound Racing SA steward at the track at the completion of the heats.

GRSA steward Josh Evans (pictured) supervised the box draw for this Sunday’s Peter Rocket Summer Classic final after the two heats had been run yesterday with the final outcome being: 1 Andrew’s Gift (Tracie Price), 2 Galactic Panther (Steve Bartholomew), 3 Breemelia Swift (Tony Hinrichsen), 4 Shot Thru (Jamie Quinlivian), 5 Assertive Fury (Tony Hinrichsen), 6 Same Scenario (Tracie Price), 7 Dynamite Danger (Tracie Price), 8 Serene Machine (Jamie Quinlivian). Res. Shine On Shannah, Filthy Phantom.

On-track box draws will now be conducted for feature event finals such as the Mount Gambier Cup, Anniversary Cup, Christmas Cup and classics.

Meanwhile, the latest range of headwear was released at Tara Raceway yesterday – black caps emblazoned with the lettering “Get a piece of Team Weis” – referring, of course, to Portland trainer Brian Weis.

The launch, however, did fall a bit flat when the best Weis could come up was a third placing with Xtreme Notice.

Young Zoe stuck by her grandfather, though, agreeing to model one of the caps, big sister Alex taking the photograph.

Monday, October 2, 2017

When local greyhound participant Ken Feltus struck the $1340 Pick 6 jackpot at Tara Raceway at the end of August it had been more than two years since it had last been won.

Damien Stanton with his winning Pick 6 ticket at Tara Raceway on Sunday.

Sponsored by Steve and Lee Bartholomew, who add $10 to the pool every week, the Pick 6 is a free competition that requires on-course patrons to select the winners of races three through to eight.

The Pick 6 was won again at last Sunday’s meeting and while the pool had had little time to re-build Damien Stanton of Mount Gambier certainly wasn’t complaining.

Fair enough, there were a couple of odds-on winners among the six but Stanton did pretty well to reach the final leg after selecting Problem Solved ($3), Cryer’s Plugger ($1.90), Solitary Lad ($2.40), Hit The Runway ($1.65) and Kolora Posie ($4.50).

And his selection in the last leg was Peter Crawley’s more than handy Zuma Creek who had previously won at Tara Raceway in a smart 29.77 seconds for the 512 metre journey.

Peter Crawley with Zuma Creek, winner of the final leg of the Pick 6.

A $3.60 chance from box six, Zuma Creek was slowly away but quickly worked into a forward spot before railing through on the leader Swift Limes off the back and running out a three length winner in a best of day 29.95 seconds.

Stanton, son of canteen staff member Carol, said he was an occasional Pick 6 player but had never previously got close to a collect.

So, in what has been the shortest time ever between collects, the Pick 6 reverts to its $10 starting point with Tara Raceway now surely needing to throw up a few roughies to give the pool a much-needed boost.

Friday, September 8, 2017

The canteen girls, Tania and Carol, must have been wondering what the hell was going on.

Phil Lenehan salvages the no parking sign and points out to Dawn Kay as she shifts her car that she had been illegally parked.

Here they were busily preparing for Friday’s Tara Raceway meeting when, through their window, they spotted bar manager Dawn Kay’s car silently rolling down a slight embankment and heading in the direction of the canteen section of the clubrooms.

The only trouble was the bar manager wasn’t in the car!

The car came to a halt after crashing into a safety fence and a post supporting the back verandah roof with a slightly-shaken Dawn later conceding that she had neglected to place the vehicle in “park” after unloading some bar supplies.

Now, the irony of the whole incident was that Dawn had pushed for some time for a safety fence to be erected at the back entrance and also for there to be no parking in this area.

But in one fell swoop her car demolished a section of the safety fence and knocked down a supporting verandah post which saw the roof take on a decided drop in one corner.

And as Demolition Dawn prepared to shift the car, Phil Lenehan was quick to remind her that she was illegally parked!

Pictures: Tracie Price.