The Angle Park auction race, an event that for so long impeded the sale process of greyhound pups at the annual auction after many vendors bought back their own pups with the rich race in mind, is to be scrapped.
This follows consultation between the Adelaide Greyhound Racing Club committee and Greyhound Racing SA and is good news for genuine purchasers intending to head to the Angle Park greyhound auction on Sunday, October 21.
Pups whelped between October 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018 will be auctioned as well as greyhounds aged 12 months to 19 months which if raced must have trialled prior to the auction.
Also to be auctioned will be greyhounds aged 20 months and older which must have been solo trialled over 274 metres, 388 metres or 515 metres.
From Kongorong to Koroit, Meningie to Mumbannar, Coleraine to Compton, Ararat to Allendale East, Monteith to Mount Moriac, Penshurst to Portland and Warrnambool to Worrolong – Tara Raceway’s time-graded fortnightly Friday greyhound meetings continue to attract widespread support.
Time-graded racing, introduced to cater for “lower class” greyhounds, kicked off at Tara Raceway on Friday, April 21, 2017 with the David Williams trained Proud Eagle winning the first race, a maiden over 400 metres, in 24.02 seconds.
There are a few different time-graded variations, the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club opting for a grading system of worst to best rating and only maiden to grade five races over all distances.
Kevin Jones (left) pictured with Jen and Monty Wilson after Seabrook Noisey’s recent time-graded win at Tara Raceway.
And with all graded races non penalty, and a prizemoney structure that rewards all greyhounds, it’s probably not surprising that the word has spread far and wide.
For example, the first four over the line in a grade six event receive $410, $165, $125 and $100 respectively while the remainder of the field pick up $70 each.
Throw in the $60 rebate that every trainer also receives and it’s not hard to see why there’s a procession of fully-loaded trailers heading down Lake Terrace East every other Friday.
In fact, Rupanyup trainer Kath Brooks and Kevin Ward of Mount Moriac have been so successful at the time-graded meetings this year that they are now among the top dozen trainers at Tara Raceway.
Also, it’s not hard to see why there’s now been a push to run time-graded meetings on a weekly basis as had been the case during July.
Take a trainer at Friday’s 12-race meeting with four greyhounds engaged that fail to run in the first four – he or she will pick up a minimum of $340. The same scenario at a Sunday meeting would return $140 although first prize is considerably more.
The proposed switch of time-graded meetings to alternate Wednesdays (26 meetings) once Murray Bridge is racing should work in Mount Gambier’s favour as far as its 52 Sunday meetings are concerned.
However, with the Gawler Greyhound Racing Club reported to be still unhappy with the proposed revised schedule of racing days which now has it racing on Tuesdays and Fridays and not alternate Wednesdays and every Sunday night, it will be interesting to see whether any further changes take place.
Writing in the latest edition of the Flyer, Gawler secretary Bob May said the club had welcomed the decision to continue with two weekly meetings at Gawler . . . but had been dismayed by the proposal to shift the club’s successful Sunday night meeting.
“We have written to Greyhound Racing SA, providing many reasons and comments, and have requested that a meeting be held between the Gawler club and GRSA in order to discuss the matter further,” he said.
“And while it is not our position to speak on behalf of other clubs, we note that one of the consequences of the revised schedule will be the Sunday clash of Mount Gambier and Murray Bridge.”
Allendale East greyhound trainer David Peckham is likely to look to the Mount Gambier division of the SA Country Cup (512 metres) with Bourne Blackjack and Usain Insane after their wins at Tara Raceway on Sunday.
Bourne Blackjack narrowly defeats Seabrook Noisey in Sunday’s Produce Store Stake.
Bourne Blackjack, a son of Barcia Bale and Striking Viking, took his record to five wins and 10 minor placings from 19 starts when holding out Seabrook Noisey, Well Done Woody, Irka Jakit and Bushman’s Mate to score in a blanket finish in the Produce Store Stake (512 m) in 30.40 seconds.
Peckham, in what has become something of a common occurrence at recent race meetings, was successful once again in the last race when Usain Insane led all the way to defeat speedy type George Regis and Cryer’s Sid in the Gordon Refrigeration Mixed Stake (400 m) in a quick 22.93 seconds – the third fastest run at the track this year.
David Peckham with Usain Insane after his quick win in the Gordon Refrigeration Mixed Stake.
Blitz And Bolt, another of his team to race on Sunday, is also likely to be set for the Country Cup after he has met his Metal Worx Iron Dog commitments – a second placing in Sunday’s first round over 600 metres having him in a nice position to qualify for Sunday week’s 512 metre final.
Heat/s of the Mount Gambier division of the SA Country Cup will be run at Tara Raceway on Sunday, September 23 with the $7375 final at Angle Park over 515 metres on Friday, October 12 (Adelaide Cup night).
Peckham is no stranger to Country Cup representation with Thanks Tubby and Bourne Again at Strathalbyn in 2014 and Thanks Tubby again in 2015 at Gawler. And Blitz And Bolt, should he make his way through, would be well served as he is a winner of three races at Angle Park over 515 metres.
Swift Limes defeats Redda in the Gambier Vets Stake and brings up 100 winners this year on SA tracks for Compton trainer Tracie Price.
Another Country Cup contender to find winning form again on Sunday was the Tracie Price trained Swift Limes who led all the way from box six in the Gambier Vets Stake (512 m), running out a 2½ length winner over Redda with Azumi Ryder a further 2½ lengths back in third spot in 30.07 seconds.
Following Swift Limes’s win, Price, who won the 2013 SA Country Cup at Gawler with Moorak Hope, has now trained 94 winners this year at Tara Raceway and 100 overall – Smart Knocka, Bekim Lucy’s, Cryer’s Plugger and Rockoon successful at Angle Park.
Lizzie Boers with Ben Nevis after his best of day win in the Klaassens Contractors Mixed Stake.
Meanwhile, Portland trainer Nicole Stanley said that Ben Nevis, this year’s Anniversary Cup winner, despite an impressive win in the Klaassens Contractors Mixed Stake (512 m) was unlikely to line up in the Country Cup.
Liz Newberry and John Little with Country Cup contender Springvale Alysa.
The black dog took over the running down the back straight from Solitary Lad before racing away to a four length win over Theo’s Thunder in a best of day 29.95 seconds.
Stanley, who won the 2016 SA Country Cup at Strathalbyn with Berry Bling, said that she much preferred to leave Ben Nevis at Tara Raceway behind the finish-on-lure rather than risk him at Angle Park.
“To be honest, I half thought about the Country Cup but after three racing offences at Angle Park I figured the safer option would be to leave him at Tara Raceway where he has been quite successful.”
And with the Country Cup in mind, Kongorong trainer John Little is likely to make the trip tomorrow night to Angle Park with Springvale Alysa who is required to run a satisfactory trial at that track.
Springvale Alysa, unbeaten at Tara Raceway in five starts, on August 24 ran a personal best 30.03 seconds, a 512 metre time that prompted Little to give serious consideration to the forthcoming cup.
Lektra Brandy pictured with Mo Canala after her brilliant 22.90 seconds run in the winningformula.net.au Stake.
“She’s been cleared to race everywhere but Angle Park so to be on the safe side I need to have all the boxes ticked before she lines up in a Country Cup heat down here,” he said.
Dimora Bekim made it two wins in a row for Kevin Ashton when successful in the Williams Crane Hire Stake.
Time honours on Sunday over the short course went the way of the Nifty Lenehan owned and trained Lektra Brandy who, after a slow start, gained a clear run to find the front down the back in the winningformula.net.au Stake.
From then on the black bitch never looked like being beaten, eventually running out a 4½ length winner over Lobster Hill in a blistering 22.90 seconds.
The win was the Portland-trained Lektra Brandy’s first in three months and the time the second fastest this year, eclipsed only by Wise Stella who ran 22.89 seconds in July.
And Kevin Ashton, who regularly makes the long trip over from Charlton, was rewarded once again when rising four-year-old Dimora Bekim won his second 400 metre race in succession.
Leading all the way from box three in the Williams Crane Hire Stake, the seasoned campaigner was a 6½ length winner in 23.35 seconds, Ashton believing his decision to scrap the pre-race preview with the black dog contributing to his better box manners.
Trainers Nicole Stanley, Aaron Blake and Jeff Guy will be hoping to pick up valuable points in Sunday’s first round of the Metal Worx Iron Dog (600 metres) as they strive for another win in the annual versatility series.
Hit The Runway looking to go one better in this year’s Iron Dog series.
Three heats will be run on Sunday with greyhounds awarded eight points down to two, according to order of finish. The second round – over 400 metres – will follow on Sunday week (September 9) with the heats reshuffled but the scoring system remaining the same.
The Iron Dog final, made up of the eight top point scorers, will then be decided on Sunday, September 16 over 512 metres at Tara Raceway.
Portland-based Stanley, who won the 2016 Iron Dog with Old Jock, looks well-placed again this year with Hit The Runway, runner-up in last year’s final and a two length second to Rockoon over 512 metres at Tara Raceway last Sunday.
White Hills trainer Blake, successful in the inaugural Iron Dog back in 2012 with Kiss Me Donkey, has a runner in each heat with Haddi Bale, Power Sensation and Zipping Floyd.
And Guy, of Horsham, is back again with last year’s winner Paraphernalia and fourth placegetter Frac Geek, along with Cookie Yap.
Cryer’s Plugger defeats Anniversary Cup winner Ben Nevis over 512 metres at Tara Raceway last Sunday.
Clashing with Paraphernalia in the second heat will be Aeroplane Mo, trained at Ballarat by Trent Blacker who will be looking for further feature success at Tara Raceway this year after the son of Collision and Ritza Night previously won the Koroit 600 and the Eric Lewis Memorial.
Adding even more interest to the second heat will be Peter Fulton’s Noosa Parade, a last start third over 595 metres at Sandown Park, and the Connie Miller trained Chilly Kiss, winner of The Tankman 600 at Mount Gambier Cup time and currently leading in the Greyhound of the Year.
Cryer’s Plugger, a finalist last year for Apsley trainer Tom Cryer, was an impressive 512 metre winner over recent Anniversary Cup winner Ben Nevis at Tara Raceway last Sunday and should pick up his fair share of opening round points when jumping from box two in the third heat.
Lochey Swift defeats Filthy Phantom (No. 1) and Sanya Bay at Tara Raceway last week.
Monarto South trainer Tony Hinrichsen continued his successful run this year at Tara Raceway’s time-graded fixtures, landing a double at last week’s meeting with Lochey Swift and Trouble Waters.
Actually, Hinrichsen ran the quinella in the Trackside Meats Stake (400 m), Lochey Swift and Filthy Phantom, with only a neck separating the littermates, finishing over the top of Sanya Bay in 23.65 seconds.
And in the Gambier Vets Stake (600 m) Trouble Waters came from a fair way back to grab Oemi Allen close to home for a half length win in 35.91 seconds.
Tony Hinrichsen with well-bred winner Trouble Waters.
The 24 kilogram white and black bitch, sold originally as a pup for $10,000, has now won two races at Tara Raceway and one at Gawler since Hinrichsen purchased her in early June for $2000.
“It wasn’t that I was really looking for another racing dog but more so a bitch that I could breed with later on,” he said.
“So when this daughter of boom sire Fernando Bale and Hope’s Up came up for sale I jumped at the opportunity because of her outstanding bloodlines.”
By El Galo out of Little Looper, Hope’s Up won 39 races, ran 22 minor placings and amassed $86,000 in stakemoney. Her litter to Fernando Bale also includes Waterloo Kate ($31,000), Abuzz ($22,000) and Uptime Girl ($13,000).
Hope’s Up is also a half-sister to former SA champion sprinter Worm Burner, a winner of 48 races and close to $400,000 in stakemoney.
