SUNDAY, JANUARY 26: Nominations closed. THURSDAY, JANUARY 30 (Time-Graded): Nominations close at 9 a.m. (SA time) on Tuesday, January 28 with GRSA. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2: Nominations close at 9 a.m. (SA time) on Wednesday, January 29 with GRSA.
WEDNESDAY (9.30) AND SATURDAY (9.00) TRIAL MORNINGS/FOUR-DOG PUPPY TRIALS: For bookings please contact Tim Manterfield (0400 269 765) before 4 p.m. on the day prior. SATISFACTORY TRIALS: For bookings please contact Barry Shepheard. CLUB MANAGER: Mark Dwyer 0419 863 762.
CATCHERS AVAILABLE: Trainers are advised that Zari and Bayle Newman, when in attendance at race meetings, will be available for catching duties.
TRAINERS PLEASE NOTE: Due to GAP ASSESSMENTS being carried out at Tara Raceway on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 there will be NO TRIALS on this day.
SUNDAY’S TRACKSIDE PET MEATS FREE PICK 6 JACKPOT (Races 3 to 8): $500.
SUNDAY SELECTIONS: Race 1 – 2 Littlefoot, 5 Compton Bowie, 4 Just Johnnie Race 2 – 5 Sokita, 4 Mysterious Minds, 1 Jacaranda Race 3 – 1 Dell Mister, 4 Magic Mack, 2 Unique Destiny Race 4 – 2 Ringer’s Girl, 8 Hit Top Gear, 6 Anna Rhode Race 5 – 8 Lektra Layla, 4 Argyle Kinloch, 1 Pace To Burn Race 6 – 4 Is He Lucky, 2 Mr. Anderson, 1 Bourne Nancy Race 7 – 3 Sudoku Jaxon, 6 Swift Gift, 5 Aston Darwin Race 8 – 1 Top Cadillac, 2 Sweet Secret, 4 Aston Hornet Race 9 – 1 Is He Happy, 5 Wind Whiskers, 8 Blue To Burn Race 10 – 4 Smart Operator, 7 Oregon Caldwell, 2 Red To Burn
It’s now more than 10 years since Peter Franklin first made his presence felt at Tara Raceway. Actually it was on October 24, 2014, back in the early days of TAB racing at Tara Raceway when Friday afternoon meetings were still part of the program.
For Franklin, who at the time resided at Moyston with wife Rosalie, it was a case of fitting in work commitments along with training a few greyhounds.
And often when making the three-hour trip from Moyston to Mount Gambier, he would pick up great mate John Gale who was then based at Stawell.
Among the team who made the trip over with Franklin and Gale that particular morning was a young black dog by Fear Zafonic out of Graceful Amy who was having his first race start in The Border Watch Open Maiden Stake over 400 metres.
John Gale pictured with Mojito Mayhem after his maiden win at Tara Raceway on Friday, October 24, 2014.
Whelped in February 2013 and racing as Mojito Mayhem, he never looked like being beaten, eventually running out a 6½ length winner over Dylkah Joe with a further 3¾ lengths back to John’s Moment in 23.14 seconds – a time that still holds up to this day.
Interestingly, in the race prior – the Metal Worx Maiden Stake (512 m) – a January 2013 black bitch by Premier Fantasy out of Have A Yap was attempting to win her maiden for Ben Boers at what was her fifth race start.
Named Lots Of Yap, the black bitch also opened her winning account that day when defeating Cryer’s Blackie by 1½ lengths in 30.47 seconds.
Fast forward to March 2015 and Lots Of Yap, in one of the great cup stories, defeated Bourne Again in 30.04 seconds in the Mount Gambier Cup. Winning the Anniversary Cup that year was Mojito Mayhem who then followed up with a win in the 2016 Mount Gambier Cup over Danyo’s Frank.
Staking his claim as the local “cups king”, Mojito Mayhem also defeated Cryer’s Fred in the 2016 Anniversary Cup.
In June 2017, Jeff Guy, back then a Tara Raceway regular, and Franklin – these days based at Mortlake and still supporting the Mount Gambier club – had been involved in a remarkable month of track records at the local track.
On June 11, Guy’s Brazen Bomber and Paraphernalia broke the 512 metres and 600 metres track records with times of 29.55 seconds and 34.97 seconds.
Then, a week later, it was the Franklin trained pair of Mojito Mayhem and McIvor Verna who lowered those records to 29.52 seconds and 34.84 seconds.
Mojito Mayhem’s record stood until March 11, 2018 when Lektra Stomp ran 29.45 seconds. And McIvor Verna’s record was broken on April 21, 2019 after Pirate’s Curse clocked 34.79 seconds.
A winner of close to $40,000 in prize money, Mojito Mayhem raced on 79 occasions for 24 wins, 13 seconds and eight thirds – 20 of his wins were at Tara Raceway and the remaining four at Angle Park and Ballarat.
Murphy (Mojito Mayhem) was whelped on February 17, 2013 and passed away at Mortlake on January 21, 2025 – 26 days short of his 12th birthday.
“Murphy was a great companion to the end and will always hold a special place in our hearts,” Franklin said.
