Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club

Tara Raceway, Lake Terrace East, Mount Gambier, SA

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Keen One claims emotional win at Tara Raceway

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Emotions ran high at Tara Raceway last Sunday after Keen One’s powerful finishing burst in the Laser Electrical Maiden Stake (400 metres) resulted in him running down tearaway leader Frankie to win by three-quarters of a length in a smart 23.28 seconds.

Dita Mitchell and Malcolm and Nuran Keenan pictured with Keen One after his win last Sunday.

On track to witness the greyhound’s first win at his fifth start, after three previous minor placings, was an emotional Tarpeena owner Malcolm Keenan and his wife Nuran – Keen One racing in the name of JK the Great, in memory of Keenan’s son John.

The win was also Keenan’s first in six years, a dog called Bahama Sixty One, who he raced in partnership with local greyhound man Ralph Patzel, winning a 512 metre maiden at Tara Raceway in 30.95 seconds.

And it was Patzel who actually picked out Keen One as a pup from an October 2017 litter by Dyna Villa out of Precious Prize, a winner of three races up the straight at Healesville.

“We went over Bendigo way to select a couple of pups from the litter and left them there to be reared and then got Dita (Mitchell) to take over their training after breaking-in,” Keenan said.

“Zeenat, our other one, will have her fourth start in a maiden over 400 metres at Tara Raceway on Sunday while Keen One will step up to a grade six event.”

For Mitchell, also of Tarpeena, last Sunday was a good way to celebrate her birthday after Keen One’s win and then Galloping Flash who made it two in a row with a two length win over Cee Me Ignite in the South Eastern Hotel Stake (400 m) in a very quick 22.88 seconds.

The double was Mitchell’s third this year at Tara Raceway after Red Hat Ruby and Bob Square Pants had won on consecutive Thursdays back in July.


The Bunworths are in a rush

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Brendan Bunworth, of Penshurst, back in the game and carrying on from where he left off several years ago, continues to enjoy success at Tara Raceway with his giveaway greyhounds.

Working in conjunction with wife Kayla, the pair has now trained 10 winners this year at the local track, the latest being Stilton Rush in the Metal Worx Stake (400 m) at last Sunday’s meeting.

Having her first start for Bunworth, Stilton Rush, who won her maiden at Horsham back in July, quickly found the front from box one and held out short-priced favourite Jervois Bruit to win by four lengths in a quick 22.95 seconds.

And there’s certainly not much wrong with her breeding, the February 2017 black bitch by Magic Sprite out of Ada Mary, the daughter of High Earner a winner of 18 races, including two Group 3 events over 720 metres at Wentworth Park, for $142,000 in stakemoney.


One-off final for K9 Race Recovery FFA

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Due to insufficient nominations for a minimum of two heats, the G-SIX K9 Race Recovery FFA (600 m) will now be run as a one-off final at Sunday week’s meeting (October 27).

But this Sunday’s G-SIX Rock’s Retreat FFA (600 m) looks likely to be a keenly-contested affair and a good lead-in to the final – the majority of the runners likely to be re-nominated.

Saint David defeats Spring Spinner, Bisenti and Spinning Jakit over 600 metres at Tara Raceway last week. The quartet will clash again on Sunday.

Only 3½ lengths separated Saint David, Spring Spinner, Bisenti and Spinning Jakit who filled the first four placings in last week’s 600 metre Winmore Greyhound Kennels Stake, Saint David running a smart 35.16 seconds for Koroit owner-trainer Peter Byrne.

The quartet will clash again on Sunday but will also have to contend with Banjo Fozz who impressed on debut a fortnight ago over 600 metres for Serviceton trainer David Brodhurst when running second to Unique Edition.

On that occasion Banjo Fozz ran Unique Edition to 2¼ lengths, the winner clocking a quick 35.00 seconds and subsequently winning at Angle Park over 600 metres on Adelaide Cup night.

Trainers are reminded that original nominators for the K9 Race Recovery FFA will be given first preference for the one-off final but will have to re-nominate by 9 a.m. (SA time) on Tuesday, October 22 with GRSA.


Syndicate takes advantage of ‘offer too good to refuse’

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

As far as the new owners of the unusually-named greyhound Squishy Pea – winner of last Sunday’s Fairthorne Forestry grade five final (512 metres) at Tara Raceway – were concerned it was a case of never looking a gift horse in the mouth.

How Squishy Pea found his way down to leading local trainer David Peckham’s Allendale East kennels at the end of August goes back to previous owner Peter Sutcliffe of Devon Meadows who had been looking to move on the black dog in order to make room for some new arrivals.

Squishy Pea wins the Fairthorne Forestry Grade 5 final at Tara Raceway last Sunday.

Sutcliffe had rung a contact in Adelaide to see if he was interested in taking Squishy Pea but he too had no empty kennels. What the contact did do, though, was to ring Ross Schurgott, manager of the Nineofus Syndicate, to see if he was looking for another dog, in this case a giveaway.

And Schurgott couldn’t get on the phone quickly enough to run the offer past Peckham, who had won a Fairthorne Forestry heat the previous week with the Nineofus Syndicate owned Silent Jacko.

“It didn’t seem like a bad offer, considering at a bit over three years of age he should still have plenty of racing in him,” Peckham said. “And he’s a beautifully-bred dog, being by Fernando Bale out of Secret Spell, a winner of 23 races and $276,000 in stakemoney.

“Apparently he was a good kennel dog and with 10 wins on Victorian tracks I said to Ross that the syndicate probably couldn’t go far wrong with a deal like this. He should get him down here as quickly as possible, I suggested.

“Later, when I trialled Squishy Pea post to post at Tara Raceway he ran 25.30 seconds which made him the quickest giveaway I’ve ever had.”

Inter Soccer Club members joined Squishy Pea after he had won the Fairthorne Forestry Grade 5 final at Tara Raceway last Sunday. Pictured (from left) are: John Zaccardo, Tom Weedon, Jacqueline Zaccardo, birthday girl Annegret Zaccardo, trainer David Peckham, Marj D’Agostino, Stef D’Agostino and Tony D’Agostino (Senior Coach and Coach of the Year).

As luck would have it, Silent Jacko was scratched from last Sunday’s final due to injury, the Nineofus Syndicate then having to rely on Squishy Pea who had qualified after running fourth in his heat at what had been his first race start on the track.

But he was obviously all the better for the run the previous week, leading all the way from box four in the final to defeat another more than handy giveaway in Lektra Phyliss by 2¾ lengths in a best of day 29.75 seconds.

On track last Sunday and keen to catch up with Squishy Pea after the race were members of the Inter Soccer Club, including Tony D’Agostino, senior coach and Coach of the Year.

“We’ve had a really enjoyable afternoon out here,” he said. “We’ll most certainly be back but next time with considerably more of our club supporters.”

Meanwhile, Squishy Pea will jump from box six on Thursday night in a grade five stake over 450 metres at Warrnambool where one of the toughest to beat looks to be Canya Hurricane.


GRSA seeks support for remote trainer fee

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Greyhound Racing SA is seeking clubs’ support for the introduction of a remote trainer fee, to be funded by trust monies from now defunct clubs such as Whyalla, Port Pirie and Kulpara.

CEO Matt Corby said GRSA was looking to introduce a remote trainer fee to assist active trainers whose registered premises were located more than 150 kilometres from their nearest accessible TAB track.

“From November 1, those trainers would receive an additional $75 payment for every TAB race meeting in which they compete with at least one runner. The fee would be capped at one payment per registered premises per meeting,” he said.


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