Shauna Wood and her band of volunteers were out in force last Sunday at Mount Gambier’s Tara Raceway for the running of the Mount Gambier Uniting Church Thrift Shop Stake (512 metres).

The race was sponsored by the Tara Tipsters, a group of local greyhound racing enthusiasts who conduct an ongoing tipping competition at the track on a two-monthly basis. Designated charities are then the beneficiaries of the Tara Tipsters’ weekly contributions.

Last Sunday’s Thrift Shop grade six race over 512 metres comprised five “Compton” named greyhounds, all trained locally by Tracie Price. And it was the two outsiders of the field in Compton Stella and Compton Baker who eventually fought out the finish.

This was certainly a race of fluctuating fortunes with 2¾ lengths eventually separating the $13 and $15 chances, Compton Stella and Compton Baker, in a time of 30.30 seconds.

From a Tara Tipsters point of view the Thrift Shop series – a shortened nine-version competition due to Christmas – had been won by Scott Blacksell who defeated Jo Williams and Robert Stafford.

At the presentation, Ms Wood touched on the Mount Gambier Uniting Church Thrift Shop, saying every purchase made directly supports local entities through the Uniting Church.

“The purchases help us to care for our neighbours and strengthen the bonds of our community. And all proceeds stay local.”

Ms Wood also sincerely thanked the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club and those involved in the Tara Tipsters for their support of local charities.

Meanwhile, at Tara Raceway’s meeting last Sunday it turned out to be a big day for the “Aston” greyhounds – Aston Gleam, Aston Darwin and Aston Sushi all successful.

In the Greg Martlew Autos Mixed Stake (305 m), Christian Roberts’ Aston Gleam, a son of Hooked On Scotch and Aston Glow, brought up his second consecutive 305 metre win when virtually leading all the way from box three.

Chasing his 13th win, the fawn dog finished his race off well when holding out another last start winner in Dell Mister to win by a length in 17.74 seconds.

Aston Darwin, by Aston Rupee x Aston Opal, brought up his first win for the year after turning in a big run in the Icon Signs Stake (512 m) for local trainer Kev Patzel.

On the pace early, the black dog found himself mid-race down the back before finishing strongly for a two length win over Bourne Franky in 30.26 seconds. The win was Aston Darwin’s 11th since being taken over by Patzel in May last year.

And Aston Sushi (Aston Fastnet x Aston Sakura) won her first 600 metre race at Tara Raceway after leading all the way in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Stake for a 3¼ length win over Fantastic Helga in 35.20 seconds.

The black bitch is trained at Millicent by Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club president Dave Green who also has 2025 Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year Wind Whiskers in his kennel.

Allendale East-based Bourne Model is one of five greyhounds chasing 2025 TAB SA Greyhound of the Year (GOTY) honours at a presentation night at Angle Park on Saturday, February 28.

By Feral Franky, the SA-bred daughter of Sweet On Me was originally raced by the Bourne Team Syndicate prior to trainer David Peckham also taking over the ownership. Other greyhounds under consideration for the SA GOTY are Apilla, Dashing Jordy, Mallee Beauty and Wicket.

During 2025 Bourne Model raced on 25 occasions for 12 wins and five seconds. All told, her prize money for the year was $141,400. Her most significant win of the year was a heat and the final of the Group 1 Sapphire Crown at Sandown Park.

The Greyhound of the Month in May, Bourne Model also won heats of the Group 3 Murray Bridge Cup and the Group 3 Gawler Cup prior to finishing second in both finals. She also won the Adelaide Cup Consolation (the Piping Shrike).

For Southern Cross owner-trainer Ray Mahony, and his rather large female greyhound Intuitive, her win in last week’s Da’Leni Meats TG5+W Stake (305 metres) was her first at Mount Gambier’s Tara Raceway since the end of 2024 when she defeated Harry Chana.

And leading all the way from box four, the 32.9 kilogram daughter of Aston Kimetto and Disputive never looked like being beaten last week. On the line she had 6¾ lengths to spare over My Girl Kellie.

Bred by the Boreland family of Seaspray in Victoria, Intuitive had won her maiden for Mahony in Mount Gambier at start number three when defeating Bungaloo Bruiser in 17.82 seconds in May 2024.

But her past 25 starts had all been at Warrnambool and had resulted in only one win.

“I thought it was probably time to get her back to Mount Gambier and a change of track. And she certainly looked a different dog when bringing up her up her fourth win behind the finish-on-lure,” Mahony said.

Intuitive has now won seven races and more than $16,000 in prize money while Mahony also previously enjoyed success at Tara Raceway with half-brother Grumpy Sailor (by Zambora Brockie), a winner of nine races and more than $23,000.

And another of the Boreland breed in Sweet Secret – by SH Avatar x Zipping Tatum – has performed well at Tara Raceway for the trainer who has been involved in greyhound racing for more than 50 years.

“She never went a yard at her first three race starts at Warragul and Warrnambool. But three months later she won her maiden over 305 metres at Mount Gambier and since then hasn’t raced on any other tracks.

“All told, Sweet Secret has also won over 400 metres, 512 metres and 600 metres, having won 13 races and more than $25,000 in prize money,” Mahony said.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Khris and Beck Blake lined up at Tara Raceway with Bendigo-based Duran Rachel who is raced by fellow family members Aaron and Mary Blake.

Boasting strong imported bloodlines, Duran Rachel, a daughter of Ballymac Kingdom and Fabriola Duran was purchased from the Victorian-based Dailly Greyhound Farms.

But the $26 chance was rated little hope from box eight when taking on long odds-on favourite Is He Happy in box one in the Thank You Todd & Bronwyn Nicholson Stake (305 m).

However, Duran Rachel defied the odds when taking her record at the track and distance to 10 starts for six wins after defeating Bulsara by 1¼ lengths in 17.96 seconds.

Killarney owner-trainer Kevin Mugavin landed a second litter double in as many weeks with Good Value and Eric Quirk, the sons of Aeroplane Eric and Cloona Lass successful in the Commercial Hotel TG1-4W Stake (305 m) and Quickmix Concrete Group TG5+W Stake (400 m).

Good Value, who won his maiden at Warrnambool 12 months ago, broke through for his second and third wins at Tara Raceway’s January 22 and 29 meetings this year – his win last week coming after he led all the way and held on to defeat Cantara Pearl by a half head in 17.89 seconds.

Eric Quirk was always travelling like a winner from box four when leading all the way, and for the second consecutive week, defeating Magic Nancy – this time by 5¼ lengths in 22.98 seconds.

And Meningie trainer Tim Richards book-ended the meeting with Extravagantly in the Produce Store Maiden Stake (305 m) and Ricki’s Burner in the Sealeys Springworks TG5+W Stake (400 m).

Whelped in May 2023, Extravagantly had his first race start at Tara Raceway in December for Longlea trainer Ian Garland. He also bred the son of Zambora Brockie and Auspicious Queen, a winner of 10 races and $60,000 in prize money.

However, following the unplaced run behind Jetson, Extravagantly was transferred to Richards. And at Tara Raceway last week the black dog settled in second spot behind Saint Ella before finishing strongly in the home straight for a 2½ length win in 18.07 seconds.

The final race of the day saw Ricki’s Burner, a son of Flying Ricciardo and Gold Burner, chasing his first win since October last year at Murray Bridge.

Away only fairly from the outside, the fawn dog settled in second spot behind race favourite Is He Lucky before railing through on the home turn and running out a 1½ length winner in a personal best time of 23.08 seconds.

So for the Meningie training team of Richards and Tanya Bialek it turned out to be something of a mixed bag with the latter’s Cantara Pearl going down by a half head to Good Value and Bulsara running second to Duran Rachel.

Last week’s Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club (MGGRC) time-graded meeting at Tara Raceway signalled the end of 36 years of greyhound racing photography for Todd and Bronwyn Nicholson of Todd’s Photographics.

“Unfortunately, it is now no longer financially viable to continue to operate our business at the weekly Thursday and Sunday greyhound meetings at the Lake Terrace East track,” Bronwyn Nicholson said.

“We sincerely thank the MGGRC, David and Ruth Lewis for their endless help on and off the track and also the owners and trainers for 36 incredible years of support and trust.”

She said it had been an honour to capture the moments, memories and the champions of local greyhound racing throughout those years.

“This is certainly not a decision we made lightly, or with any joy. But the current times left us with little choice and we wish the club and its participants all the best in their future endeavours.”

For the second consecutive year the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club presented Australia Day boxed medallions to the winning trainers of the 11 races at its Tara Raceway January 25 meeting.

Leading local trainer Tracie Price, of Compton, won four races last Sunday with Crowie Unleashed, Compton Shelly, Capybara and Status Of Time. Last year he had won an Australia Day medal with Sudoku Jaxon.

Other trainers to win back to back medals were Ararat-based Paul Hammerstein, successful with Is He Happy, and last year with Imposter. And Dell Mister followed on for Mortlake’s Peter Franklin who last year collected a medal with Ringer’s Girl

Winners came from far and wide last Sunday and also included Lektra Lee, Lektra Rosa (Sharon Bradley and Phil Lenehan, Toolong), Thumani (Damien Smith, Murray Bridge), Aston Gleam (Christian Roberts, Terang) and Lektra Hank (Nifty Lenehan, Portland).

Racing kicked off with the Sealeys Springworks Maiden Stake (305 metres) and Lektra Lee, a son of Plaintiff and Lektra Viki looked anything but a $26 chance. He quickly rounded up the field from box eight before running out a 4¼ length winner over Sally Shine in 17.93 seconds.

“He went into the race having competed on six occasions and run one 10 length third in a Bottoms Up Maiden at Warrnambool,” Bradley said. “To be honest, given his temperament, I never thought he would win a race.”

A couple of races later, in the Metal Worx Stake (305 m), litter sister Lektra Rosa, trained by Lenehan, finished strongly in the run home when defeating Heart To Hartley by a head in 18.25 seconds.

Smith’s Thumani was chasing his first win since last November at Horsham for his Group 1-winning trainer and looked well placed when taking on the grade six Williams Crane Hire Stake (400 m) from box one.

Always on the pace, the fawn son of Feral Franky and Little Nangar, who was bred by the legendary Dennis Barnes, took the lead off the back before running out a 2½ length winner over Pinky Rocks in 23.00 seconds

“I first met Dennis when I was up in Brisbane with Apilla,” Smith said. “One thing led to another and I’ve now purchased half dozen or so dogs from him. Thumani was unraced when purchased but had been ready to go.”

And he’s also involved in the ownership with Terry Daly and Tim Lewis of the Price-trained Capybara, the brindle daughter of Fernando Bale and Nangar Gold having a keen duel with Rupee McGraw in the Icon Signs Stake (512 m).

On the line Capybara had three-quarters of a length to spare in 29.65 seconds over Rupee McGraw, the son of Aston Rupee an older half-brother to the winner and owned and trained by Smith. Both winner and runner-up were purchased from Barnes.

Franklin, still well remembered at Tara Raceway as the trainer of record-breaking greyhounds Mojito Mayhem and McIvor Verna, followed up with his second Australia Day win for owners Steve and Vanessa Lenehan who also race Dell Mister.

The blue son of Aston Rupee and Mount Gambier winner Fugacious quickly found the front in last Sunday’s Cadillac Racing Open Stake (400 m), running out a 1¾ length winner over Hyphenate in 23.05 seconds.

At start number 89, Hammerstein’s Is He Happy, a son of Beast Unleashed and Made Me Blind – and one of the successful Paraskevas line – brought up win number 20 when leading all the way in the Todd’s Photographics Stake (305 m).

And the Roberts team looked to hold a strong hand in the Commercial Hotel Mixed Stake (305 m) with Aston Gleam, Aston Torta and Aston Denton in boxes 4, 5 and 7.

The trio settled in that order and that’s how they finished with the margins being three-quarters of a length by 3¼ lengths in 17.51 seconds.

Lektra Hank, a son of Bernardo and Lektra Jena, made it three wins in succession at Tara Raceway for Nifty Lenehan and brought up a double for the Lenehan brothers.

Away well from box eight in the Greg Martlew Autos Stake (400 m), the black dog – a $17 chance – quickly found the front before running out a two length winner over Canya Nameless in 23.26 seconds.

From a training point of view at Tara Raceway last Sunday it could be said that Tracie Price certainly flew the Australian flag with his four winners.

And with the posting of photographs from the Australia Day meeting on social media came a nice post – “Congratulations. Well done Mount Gambier on your photos with the Australian flag as a backdrop. Love it.”