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.
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.