THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 (Time-Graded): Nominations closed. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26: Nominations close at 9 a.m. (SA time) on Tuesday, September 21 with GRSA. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (Time-Graded): Nominations close at 9 a.m. (SA time) on Monday, September 27 with GRSA. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3: Nominations close at 9 a.m. (SA time) on Tuesday, September 28 with GRSA. WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY TRIAL MORNINGS: For bookings please contact Barry Shepheard on 0419 824 512 before 6 p.m. on the day prior. SATISFACTORY TRIALS: For bookings please contact Barry Shepheard on 0419 824 512.
Trainers wishing to trial greyhounds without muzzles must provide their own lure. Kennel house (1 bay) available on trial mornings.
Rough Pearl scores a narrow win over Curiouser (partly obscured) and Silent Jacko in the first heat of the TAB Country Cup (512 m) at Tara Raceway on Sunday.
Meningie owner-trainer Tim Richards was the first to admit that he went into the opening round of the SA TAB Country Cup (512 metres) at Mount Gambier on Sunday with no real expectations as far as He’s All Purpose was concerned.
“No, with him being a February 2020 whelping and the youngest in the heats, I figured a minor placing would probably be the best I could hope for. Especially as he had raced on only eight previous occasions,” he said.
“Mind you, I did hold out high hopes for Crush Your Enemy and Two Hands George who were engaged in the first heat. Both had recently broken 29.80 seconds over 512 metres at Tara Raceway.”
As it turned out, neither greyhound ran a place. But He’s All Purpose’s all the way win in the second of the two heats in an outstanding 29.69 seconds now sees him joining Rough Pearl in the $7500 final at Angle Park on Friday, October 8.
Tim Richards with He’s All Purpose after his TAB Country Cup heat win at Tara Raceway on Sunday.
By Aston Dee Bee, He’s All Purpose is out of Purpose Driven, a winner of 24 races and more than $80,000 in stakemoney. Richards picked up the black pup in a two-for-two rearing deal with Meningie breeder Cameron Butcher.
“He was always a real happy sort of dog growing up,” Richards said. “But when I commenced breaking him in, initially he was coming out of the boxes backwards. Then, once that was sorted, he was jumping very slowly. Fortunately, he is now starting to put it altogether.”
Rough Pearl, currently one of the most consistent local greyhounds going around Tara Raceway, brought up his ninth win this year for mother and daughter connections Lee and Elysia Bartholomew.
The Worrolong-based son of Dyna Double One x West On Jorji will be part of SA greyhound racing’s biggest night of the year after scoring a keenly-contested neck win in yesterday’s first heat over Curiouser in 29.94 seconds.
Meanwhile, Allendale East trainer David Peckham will switch tracks in a bid to have a runner in this year’s final after Maximum Refusal, Silent Jack and Aston Model failed to qualify yesterday at Tara Raceway.
He said the trio also met the Murray Bridge Country Cup conditions and would be nominated for Friday’s heats.
Chris and David Drury, Asha, Tracie Price and Andrea Hann pictured with Albuquerque after his win at Tara Raceway on Sunday afternoon.
Mount Gambier-based David Drury, better known in harness racing circles, found himself among the dishlickers at Tara Raceway on Sunday afternoon.
Drury was on track with his partner Andrea Hann, daughter Asha and mum Chris to watch the greyhound Albuquerque – of which he is one of four shareholders – contest the Exchange Printers Stake (400 metres).
And they couldn’t have picked a better day. Compton trainer Tracie Price was running hot – Albuquerque joining kennelmates Starlight Trent, Starlight Gemma and Sonic Sammy to give Tara Raceway’s leading trainer another four winners for the day.
Chasing his first success at the local track after a maiden win at Ballarat back in June, Albuquerque was always on the pace before finishing strongly in the run home when defeating Reoffender by 1¼ lengths in 23.58 seconds.
The blue dog is raced by the Drury-managed What Were We Thinking Syndicate which also includes workmates Jack and Bryce Radley, along with Brayden Steen.
“We work for a local plumber so the interest in Albuquerque gives us something else to talk about at lunch time,” Drury said.
By leading sire Fernando Bale out of city-winning stayer Cosmic Vee Bee, the dog was purchased by the syndicate as a pup in Victoria.
“Asha actually picked him out as a pup because she liked his colour,” Drury said. “We then left him in Victoria to be reared and then later trained. But after winning his maiden and running a few placings at Horsham and Warrnambool it appeared as though he might have met his mark.
“Tracie took over Albuquerque in August and it was a big thrill for the family to be on track to see him win at what was only his third run at Tara Raceway.”
Drury also recalled how he had previously been involved with a greyhound some years ago when based at Glencoe.
“I was living next door to Barry Shepheard who is now the chief steward here at Tara Raceway. But at the time he was training greyhounds. Somehow I ended up with a share in a dog called Holly Noely.
“That would have been back in the early 2000s and he did win several races over 277 metres. Back then it was all a bit of fun – as it still is.”
