John Cameron and Brendan Casey, both based at Penshurst and long-time supporters of the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club, were back among the winners last Thursday at Tara Raceway.

For Cameron it had been a case of Scottish Soldier, successful at only his second race start, quickly finding the front from box four in the Icon Signs Maiden Stake (305 metres).

The son of Shima Shine and Little Queeny ran out a four length winner over Obito in a time of 17.97 seconds. The win was Cameron’s first at Tara Raceway since May when he had won with Lektra Lee.

Little Queeny, a winner of two races at Warrnambool and Mount Gambier when trained by Cameron, is a well-bred daughter of US sire KC And All and staying bitch Lektra Kelly.

She’s now whelped two litters for Portland-based breeder Nifty Lenehan. The first was by Allen Deed, Cameron enjoying success with Smart Operator, a winner of 10 races at Mount Gambier and Warrnambool between 2023 and 2025.

Penny Pinto brought up her 15th win for Casey after leading all the way from box five in the Produce Store 5+W Stake (305 m). She defeated Compton Layla by 1¾ lengths in 17.81 seconds.

The daughter of Fernando Bale and Weeona Dotty had been purchased as a pup by another Penshurst greyhound racing participant in John Burow who passed away suddenly in September 2022.

And following his death, it was next door neighbour Brendan Casey who had taken on the ownership and training of the then unnamed seven-month-old brindle bitch.

Casey’s involvement in greyhound racing goes back more than 20 years to when a chance collect off a daily double at the gallops gave him enough to purchase a pup by No Intent out of Mepunga Image.

Later to race as Busted Sav, he went on to win six races at Sandown Park, The Meadows and Cranbourne.

Following Swift Gift and Princetown Flyer’s wins at Tara Raceway on New Year’s Day, Princetown owner-trainer April Janssen landed her second double for the year at last week’s meeting.

This time it was with Brass Band and Affray. By Plaintiff out of Osprey Rose, they were bred at Mepunga by Barry Smith whose wife Andrea races the pair in partnership with Janssen, also rearer of the littermates.

Lining up from box one in the Cadillac Racing Maiden Stake (305 m), Brass Band led all the way from box one and landed her first win at start number three. On the line she had 1½ lengths to spare over Frosty Ferris in a time of 18.06 seconds.

A couple of races later, in the Trackside Pet Meats TG1-4W Stake (305 m), and Affray, also in the red rug, took up the running off the back before scoring a 3½ length win over Cantara Gypsy in 17.83 seconds.

In the Quickmix Concrete Group Fast Forward TG5+W final (400 m), the Tracie Price trained Jetson, perhaps not surprisingly, gave nothing else a chance when carving out a quick 22.48 seconds.

The time is the quickest run since December 15, 2024 when the Catherine Roberts trained Lektra Tony equalled the Price-trained Minnie Banjo’s track record of 22.42 seconds that had been set in February 2022.

By Bernardo out of Rhonda Lily, Jetson has now won 13 races for owner Ben Price, son of the winning trainer.

Murray Bridge trainer Terry Daly was back at Tara Raceway for a third consecutive Thursday meeting with Pure Gout. And the unbeaten run continued with the daughter of Fernando Bale and Nangar Diva.

Drawn in box one in the Pindari Express at Stud TG5+W Stake (305 m), Pure Gout quickly found the front before running away to a five length win over Billy Bust Up in a quick 17.35 seconds.

Meanwhile, at Sandown Park in Victoria the following night, Compton Rocks contested the $75,000 to the winner Laurels final over 515 metres.

Raced by Tracie Price, the locally-based leading SA trainer, in partnership with his Warrnambool cousin Ken Monaghan, Compton Rocks is currently being trained in Victoria by Kayla Cottrell.

And after the daughter of Tommy Shelby and Rock It Barcia found the front going out of the first turn she was never headed. On the line she had 3¾ lengths to spare over Serge in a time of 29.50 seconds.

Also bred by Price, Compton Rocks has now raced on 36 occasions for 14 wins and eight minor placings. All told, the June 2024 whelping has now won prize money of $101,485.

According to Camperdown trainer Peter Inguanti, his success in last Sunday’s Mount Gambier Trackside Pet Meats Spring Classic final (512 metres) with Full Bore Donny had been his best ever win.

An age-restricted series for greyhounds whelped on or after July 1, 2024, the Spring Classic – first run as the Winter Classic at Tara Raceway back in 2014 – this year carried prize money of $10,000.

Having his first look at Tara Raceway in the first of two heats the previous week, Full Bore Donny qualified for the final after running a 1¼ length second to Blizzard Byrne in 29.51 seconds.

Inguanti had been more than happy with the black dog’s first up effort at the track and returned last week confident there would be further improvement shown by the September 2024 whelping.

Actually, he was very well suited age-wise and with 27 race starts went into the final from box two as the most experienced runner.

But it was Willalooka Fury, the faster of the two heat winners and having only her sixth start, who found the front early in the final for Langhorne Creek owner-trainer Tony Hinrichsen.

Off the back, though, Full Bore Donny took up the running. Then they settled down to fight out the finish – three-quarters of a length separating the pair on the line in 29.74 seconds.

Finishing a further 1½ lengths back in third spot was the Tim Keogh owned and Jon Malone trained Blizzard Byrne who defeated littermate and kennelmate Will Jenkins by the barest of margins.

Full Bore Donny is owned by Kelvin Iles who also bred the son of Aston Fastnet and Surprising, a winner of 10 races and $48,000 in prize money.

Inguanti has been licensed for the past eight years and a full-time trainer for the past 2½ years. And in that time he probably would not have had too many better days than that at Tara Raceway last Sunday.

His day kicked off in the Cadillac Racing Open Stake (305 m) with Something Good leading all the way from box two for a 1¾ length win over Huntsman in 17.59 seconds.

Owned by Rod Staggard, the daughter of Bewildering and Invictus Coco has now raced on 86 occasions for 19 wins – all with Inguanti.

Later in the day Inguanti led in a training treble after Miss Undeniable, owned at Koroit by Danielle Keane, quickly found the front from box two in the Collins Court Butcher Stake (305 m).

Purchased as a pup by Keane, Miss Undeniable doesn’t lack much when it comes to breeding. By Bernardo, she’s out of Untapped, a winner of 20 races and more than $420,000 in prize money.

The race didn’t turn out too badly either for Keane with the runner-up trained by her for Inguanti’s father, Vito. And In third placing was the Keane owned and trained Miss Outback – a winner at Mount Gambier last month.

Meanwhile, Mepunga Infrared was back among the winners for Portland-based owner-trainer Nicole Stanley in the Produce Store Stake (512 m).

Chasing his first win since July when successful over 600 metres at Tara Raceway, Mepunga Infrared led all the way from box 4 for a four length win over Miss Chapo in a quick 29.47 seconds.

By Bella Infrared out of Mepunga Molly, Mepunga Infrared has now won five races over 512 metres and 600 metres at Tara Raceway since joining the Stanley kennels in July last year.

Terang training team, Mark and Cath Roberts landed a double at last Sunday’s meeting with Rev Ken in the Commercial Hotel Stake (305 m) while Mick Swagger impressed in the Gordon Refrigeration Stake (305 m).

The imported Rev Ken, a son of Good News out of JD Revelation, landed his first win since July after railing through on Dorset turning for home and running out a 1¾ length winner in 17.54 seconds.

And Mick Swagger quickly found the front from box three and opened his winning account at the local track with a convincing 3¾ length win over Saint Bree in 17.55 seconds.

Disappointment of the day was the scratching of Lil Rex from the Greyhoundtips.com.au Mixed Stake (600 m). His clash with Kia Keeping and Shade Of Pale had promised to be a beauty.

However, the middle-distance race still turned out to be full of interest with the Kyle Goodwin trained Kia Keeping opening up a handy lead mid-race before defeating Shade Of Pale by 1½ lengths in a smart time of 34.71 seconds.

The win resulted in the Kyle Goodwin trained Kia Keeping increasing her lead in the Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year award by 11 points over Peter Crawley’s Gus Limes.