THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20 (Time-Graded): Nominations closed. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23: Nominations closed. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27 (Time-Graded): Nominations close at 9 a.m. (SA time) on Monday, February 24 with GRSA. SUNDAY, MARCH 2: Nominations close at 9 a.m. (SA time) on Tuesday, February 25 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.
Anna Force (No. 7) scores a narrow win over Lochinvar Pearl in the second heat of the feature grade five series (512 m).
In recent times, anyway, there certainly hasn’t been a winning run at Tara Raceway anything like that of Anna Force’s six in succession at the Lake Terrace East track.
Trained at Mortlake by Peter Crawley, the 31 kilogram black bitch’s racing career kicked off at the Mount Gambier track in December with a couple of handy minor placings in maiden events over 400 metres.
But at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s final meeting of the year on December 29 Anna Force opened her winning account when defeating Sokita over 305 metres. And she hasn’t been beaten since.
For Crawley, a long-time trainer, as far as Anna Force was concerned it had been case of being in the right place at the right time.
“I’d been looking for a couple of dogs to train and as it happened I ran into Snake Valley educator Steve Bull who said he had a few there that had just finished breaking-in and looked like they could be worth going on with.
“Among those that had just been broken-in had been members of a litter by Bernardo out of Aeroplane Rose – bred and owned by Jason Cail.
“So I made contact with Jason who back in November sent litter sisters Anna Force and Raven Force to Mortlake to be trained.”
They are from Aeroplane Rose’s first and only litter by Bernardo – the dam racing on 100 occasions for 26 wins and more than $37,000 in prize money. Interestingly, all her racing took place on the Darwin track over distances ranging from 312 metres to 537 metres.
Crawley, never one to die wondering, for the first time last Sunday stepped up Anna Force in distance to 512 metres for what turned out to be a pretty handy three-heat grade five series.
Displaying her customary early dash, she led all the way from box seven in the second heat and hung on for a half-head win over Lochinvar Pearl in the Klaassens Contractors Stake in 29.81 seconds which turned out to be the fastest of the heats.
The win was the second leg of a double for Crawley who earlier in the day had been successful with Raven Force. Chasing her third win, she settled midfield before finishing strongly in the home straight for a head win over Aston Chief in the Todd’s Photographics Stake (400 m) in 23.44 seconds.
Pat Bouchier has two runners in the feature grade five series final – Big Tuna (pictured) and Tappet.
Pat and Patricia Bouchier, the husband and wife team from Dennington, won the other two heats with Tappet and Big Tuna in times of 29.88 seconds and 29.85 seconds respectively.
Tappet, a son of Tommy Shelby and Kisses For Chloe, settled in second spot behind Classy Shot down the back straight before taking up the running off the back and holding out Aston Hornet for a 2¼ length win in 29.88 seconds in the Commercial Hotel Stake.
And Big Tuna, after finding himself well back early in the third heat – the Cadillac Racing Stake – finished strongly in the home straight for a three-quarter length win over Zipping Shakira in 29.85 seconds.
By Shima Shine out of Love Made Me, the win was Big Tuna’s first at Tara Raceway, Pat Bouchier quick to point out that it hadn’t all been plain sailing with the Tanner Ahl-owned black dog.
“He was bred in SA but found his way up to NSW where he won three races at Maitland, Wentworth Park and Dapto. However, from all accounts he had struggled in a big kennel environment and having trained for Tanner previously he asked us if we would be interested in Big Tuna.
“Then in March last year at The Meadows Big Tuna was galloped on while contesting a 600 metre event and was off the scene for five months with a metatarsal fracture. Although since returning to the track things have been going along quite well with him.”
Given the closeness of times in last Sunday’s three heats and the second-placegetters’ margins – Aston Hornet (2¼ lengths), Lochinvar Pearl (½ head) and Zipping Shakira (¾ length) – the final should be a terrific race.