Last Thursday’s time-graded meeting at Tara Raceway turned out to be a good day for Macarthur owner-trainer Rob Jehu after his greyhounds shared the spoils with two quinellas on the 10-event program.

A long-time participant in the sport, Jehu had Brockie’s Gold and Panama Jan engaged in the Greyhoundtips.com.au TG1-4W Stake (305 metres). And the former, jumping from box five, had come in for solid support.

Purchased as a pup by Jehu, the December 2024 daughter of Jungle Deuce and Brockie’s Way was chasing her second win at start number four after having won her maiden over 390 metres at Warrnambool in late June.

But it was her kennelmate Panama Jan, a daughter of US sire Superior Panama and 21-race winner Rattlin’ Home, who defied the opposition to run her down from box seven when defeating Brockie’s Gold by three-quarters of a length in 17.86 seconds.

Then, in the final event of the day – the Klaassens Contractors TG1-4W Stake (400 m), it was Jehu’s littermates High Cobber and Around Outside who pretty well had the race to themselves after three lengths separated the brothers in 23.31 seconds.

By Koblenz out of Mighty Mrs, the win was the fourth for High Cobber, while his brother’s only win so far came back in March at Tara Raceway where he defeated High Cobber over 305 metres.

And helping out Jehu in his two races had been Worrolong trainer Steve Bartholomew whose family also was successful with Divine Power in the Williams Crane Hire TG1-4 Stake (305 m).

Having only his third race start on the back of a maiden/one win success over 305 metres the week prior, the son of Tommy Shelby and Galactic Destiny quickly found the front from the outside. And he looked pretty good when running out a 3½ length winner over Little Button in 17.56 seconds.

Also looking pretty good was Close Shave, the son of Razor’s Edge and Grandana Quality owned and trained at Edenhope by Captain Abbott, and scoring a good win in the Cadillac Racing TG5+W Stake (400 m).

Purchased from Ballarat breeder-owner Geoff Collins 12 months ago, Close Shave has now won seven races, all at Tara Raceway, from 39 starts.

Rising four-year-old Lektra Damian brought up his 12th win from 83 starts when returning to Tara Raceway for the first time since November 2025 for Terang owner-trainer Cath Roberts. Actually, his last win at Tara Raceway had been in February 2025 when he defeated Bali Unleashed.

An odds-on favourite from box two in the Ontrack Insider Stake (305 m), the son of Feral Franky and Lektra Rainbow was always on the pace and finished well to defeat Eskimo Roman by 1¾ lengths in 17.85 seconds.

Tanya Bialek, of Meningie, still remembers that day back in April 2021 when Molly Be Nimble’s first pup whelped from her litter of three dogs and five bitches by Barcia Bale was a brindle dog. And he’s been at Meningie ever since.

Later to be named Bulsara, he lined up at Tara Raceway last Thursday in the Federal Hotel TG5+W Stake (305 m) chasing his 18th win at what was his 132nd start.

Last successful back in February at Tara Raceway, Bulsara was the $13 rank outsider in the four-dog field. But it didn’t take him long to find the front before running out a four length winner over kennelmate Jazzy Boo in 17.69 seconds.

Berringa-based trainer Michael Niele has done well to win races at Tara Raceway with the Shirley Halliday owned Feral Franky x Darryl’s Dream littermates in Speechless, Shirl The Whirl and Kazakhstan.

One of the litter that had been testing him a bit, though, had been a black bitch by the name of Slovakia who lined up in last Thursday’s Ferness @ Stud Maiden Stake (305 m) with two third placings to her name from 11 starts.

And settling in third place from box two, Slovakia found the front at the right time when defeating Mocambora Mitch by a head in 18.33 seconds.

Niele has also recently taken over another of the litter in Compute who won his maiden at Ballarat back in March prior to recently running third over 512 metres at Tara Raceway when in the hands of Robert Halliday.

Darryl’s Dream, a daughter of Zambora Brockie and Miami Fernando, raced on only four occasions for four minor placings over 411 metres at Casino.

However, her litter includes Amron Boy, a winner of 22 races and $674,000 in prize money, and Amron Dan who won 17 races and $186,000 in prize money.

Last week’s two-track success for the Hamilton-based mother and son training team of Lorraine and Kyle Goodwin kicked off at Warrnambool on the Thursday night with Surprise Star over the 450 metre journey.

Owned by Russell Wiseman and trained by Lorraine Goodwin, the blue son of Tommy Shelby and Princess Kiwi led all the way from box one over 450 metres and brought up his sixth win from 22 starts in a time of 25.50 seconds.

Then, at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s Tara Raceway meeting on Sunday afternoon, litter sister Major Queen – also owned by Wiseman and trained by Goodwin – was successful in the Greyhoundtips.com.au Mixed Stake (400 m).

Leading all the way from box six, the blue bitch registered her ninth win from 35 starts when defeating My Mate Robbie by 1¼ lengths in 23.08 seconds.

Bred by the Hard Wyn Syndicate, which is managed by Lorraine Goodwin, Surprise Star and Major Queen are members of a 100 per cent winning litter that also includes Winsome Jet (16 wins, $411,000 prize money), See This (16, $107,000) and Winsome Rambo (16, $83,000).

Back at Tara Raceway last Sunday, and the Kyle Goodwin trained Kia Keeping registered her first 600 metre win at the local track when leading all the way from box one in the Cadillac Racing Mixed Stake.

By Fernando Bale out of Ruby Keeping, the black bitch ran out a 2½ length winner over Big Boy Jett in 35.08 seconds. She will now contest a grade five event over 595 metres from box six at Sandown Park on Thursday night.

Joining her is Surprise Star who will jump from box eight in race 12 over 515 metres.

While on the subject of Princess Kiwi, her previous litter, by Fernando Bale, included Ferness, winner of the 2025 Group 2 Richmond Derby and more than $177,000 in prize money.

On Sunday, August 16, heats of the Ferness @ Stud Grades 5/6 (512 m) will be run at Tara Raceway with the final a week later and also carrying a service to Ferness.

Bringing up the Goodwin team’s third winner of the day was Costly Habits who settled on the pace before finishing strongly in the run home and defeating Larni Lou by three-quarters of a length in the Federal Hotel Stake (400 m) in 23.16 seconds.

It took the 37 kilogram black dog 22 starts to open his winning account. However, in the six starts that have since followed he has won a further two races at Tara Raceway.

By Hooked On Scotch, Costly Habits is out of Emerald Hill who raced on only seven occasions for three wins – two at The Meadows over 600 metres and the other win over 650 metres at Shepparton.

And there’s certainly not too much wrong with the line, Emerald Hill a daughter of Superior Panama and champion stayer Sweet It Is who won 23 races and close to a million dollars in prize money.

With plenty of 305 metre races being run at Tara Raceway, Wind Whiskers’ track record of 17.20 seconds – standing since January 4 this year – lately has continually been under fire.

Back in May, the Tracie Price trained Flying Hugo ran 17.21 seconds while the following month Gary Lane’s One More Button recorded 17.22 seconds.

Then, last Sunday Stuart Sharam’s Head For Home, who actually has a trial day time of 17.15 seconds to his credit, carved out 17.22 seconds when defeating Saint Bree by 9½ lengths in the Collins Court Butcher Mixed Stake.

Meanwhile, at last week’s time-graded meeting Mashed Potato kicked off the 12-race card with a win at his fourth race start for Painswick trainer Rick Boehm in the Commercial Hotel Maiden Stake (305 m).

Away well from box five, Mashed Potato led all the way for a three length win over Mocambora Mitch and Slovakia in 17.92 seconds.

A give away greyhound, there’s certainly not too much wrong with Mashed Potato’s pedigree. By Bernardo, he’s out of Chic, a daughter of My Redeemer and Hightan, who won 12 races and close to $110,000 in prize money.

As far as the winner’s name is concerned, Boehm said he had been in his car with his grandchildren when he received a call from GRV informing him his naming selections for the dog were unavailable and he would have to come up with further selections.

“On hearing this on speaker phone one of the grandkids shouted out ‘Mashed Potato’. I don’t really know where that name was plucked from but the person on the other end of the line at GRV quickly responded that ‘Mashed Potato’ was actually available,” Boehm said.

The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s Anniversary Cup meeting, first run at Glenburnie in 1985, has always been one of the club’s better meetings of the year.

And the recent running of the 12-race 42nd anniversary meeting, highlighted by the $25,000 Federal Hotel Anniversary Cup final (512 metres), was certainly no exception.

The cup, won by Paw Winder, along with the John Reid Memorial (Canya Guru) and the Eric Lewis Memorial (Pinky Rocks), were the main races of the day. But the meeting was also complemented by a strong supporting program.

Training honours for the day went the way of Dennington-based Dustin Drew who landed a treble with Galba Stacey, Naughty Norm and Reiko Comet.

Galba Stacey was part of a recent swap with Lewiston-based trainer Nicole Price who had won 11 races with the daughter of Fernando Bale and My Name’s Stacey. In return she took the Drew-trained Aston Trust, a winner of five races at Warrnambool and Ballarat.

And the fawn bitch struck winning form for Drew at her second start for him in the Cadillac Racing Mixed Stake (305 m) when leading all the way for a two length win over Lie To Me in 17.31 seconds.

The Hannah Garner owned Naughty Norm, trained by Mark Johnson for his first two wins, brought up his 16th win for Drew when leading all the way in the Produce Store Mixed Stake (400 m) and defeating Todd Keeping by two lengths in 22.87 seconds.

He then landed his first win with Reiko Comet, raced by the Reiko Syndicate, in the Greyhoundtips.com.au Stake (400 m). Finishing strongly in the run home, she defeated Trackman Tim by a length in 23.15 seconds.

This was the end of another good day for Drew who 10 years ago had won the Group 1 Maturity Classic (525 m) at The Meadows with Kilty Express. And at last year’s corresponding Mount Gambier meeting, Drew’s sister Aimee had trained Gaping Margin, the winner of the Anniversary Cup.

Local trainer Kevin Patzel won his third race at Tara Raceway with former Adelaide chaser Ivory Pygmy, an $18 chance, who was always on the pace in the Trackside Pet Mets Pick 6 Stake (400 m). And in the run home the black bitch finished strongly to defeat Held For Ransom in 22.96 seconds.

Bred by the Dailly Greyhound Farms, Ivory Pygmy is by the Irish-bred Vulturi, a son of Westmead Hawk and Ballymac Penske, out of Lala Ivory who traces back to Group-winning stayer Shimaguni.

Attracting plenty of interest in the Icon Signs Stake (305 m) was Head For Home, owned at Horsham by Peter Carter and trained at Penola by Stuart Sharam. By Bernardo out of Reinforcements, the black dog is a litter brother to Poke Salad Annie, a winner of 11 races for the same connections.

Head For Home first hit Tara Raceway on a trial morning early in July and had the track watchers talking after running an unofficial track record over 305 metres of 17.15 seconds – pretty quick given the official record is 17.20 seconds.

Come race day and, price-wise, there wasn’t all that much separating Head For Home and Binnaway Pearl in the market. And while the pair matched motors early, it was the former who finished the stronger for a 2½ length win in 17.38 seconds.

While litter sister and brother Blue Moon Marie and Big Boy Jett performed well in the Eric Lewis Memorial for Koroit trainer Peter Keane when finishing second and fourth behind Pinky Rocks, it was litter brother Just Johnnie who broke a run of outs later in the day.

By Blue Moon Rising out of Galactic Athena, Just Johnnie had been chasing his first Tara Raceway win this year and his first win at the track and distance when contesting the Ontrack Insider Stake (512 m).

Settling in second spot behind Panipucci down the back straight, Just Johnnie ranged up on the home turn before finishing strongly for a 1¼ length win over the early leader in a personal best time of 29.83 seconds for Worrolong trainer Steve Bartholomew.

And keeping it in the family, at the following meeting last Thursday, it was Mary Lee – trained by Bartholomew’s wife Leehanne – who, despite using plenty of the track, defeated Appellant by a length in the Fast Forward TG1-4W final (400 m) and collected the $1065 first prize.

In 2023 it was Daniel Gibbons of Avalon who trained Titan Blazer, the winner of the Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup over Lochinvar Cahill and Sister Roberta in a time of 29.36 seconds for the 512 metre journey.

This year, after reaching the Group 2 Horsham Cup final (485 m) with Paw Winder, Gibbons’ wife Bec had the Brendan Wheeler owned son of Orson Allen and Yahiro Bale engaged in Mount Gambier’s Federal Hotel Anniversary Cup (512 m) over the past two Sundays.

And the blue brindle dog, after scoring an emphatic 4¾ length win over Nola Keeping in the third of five heats in a best of day time of 29.54 seconds, was always going to be hard to beat in last Sunday’s $25,000 final – despite drawing box six.

As it turned out, Paw Winder didn’t exactly fly the boxes in the final but down the back straight he was always going to be hard to beat after settling in second spot behind Utter Madness.

Then, turning for home, he railed through to take the lead before eventually running out a 1½ length winner over Utter Madness with a further two lengths back to Nola Keeping in third place. The minor placegetters are trained at Lewiston by Nicole Price.

Paw Winder’s time of 29.32 seconds was the fastest Anniversary Cup winning time since 2022 when Giant’s Flash had recorded 29.19 seconds.

Handling Titan Blazer three years ago for the Gibbons’ team had been Mark Johnson who was back again for the Anniversary Cup heats and final with Paw Winder.

In between though, he had gone out on his own for a while and had actually trained his own Mount Gambier Anniversary Cup winner in 2024 in the form of Fireworks who defeated Lektra Tony in a time of 30.09 seconds.

First run in 1985 at Glenburnie, the Anniversary Cup was won by the Hazel Lane trained Kenzel Lad. In 1997 racing transferred to its current venue on Lake Terrace East where the Col Sims trained Becker McLaren was the first of his four cup winners.

Complementing the Anniversary Cup since 2005 has been the John Reid Memorial – run in memory of one of the club’s stalwarts – and the Eric Lewis Memorial, first run in 2014 and recognising one of the founding committee members and former president (1973-1975).

The Reid Memorial was first run in 2005 over 512 metres when won by the Robert Halliday trained Itza Bee while the Robert Britton trained Zipping Basil won the inaugural Lewis Memorial over 600 metres in 2014.

Originally a maiden series, the Reid Memorial this year, in a bid to boost numbers, was programmed as a maiden/one win heats and final series – and attracted three heats.

Fastest heat winner had been Canya Guru, owned by Adelaide-based the Triple Bogeys Syndicate, which comprises James Leo, Leigh Schreier and John Elliott, and is trained at Rowsley by Matt Lanigan.

Then, when the son of Bernardo and Cayenne Model drew box one in the final he was always going to be hard to beat. And that’s how the race panned out with Canya Guru leading all the way for a 2½ length win over Costly Habits with Mary Lee a further three lengths back in third spot.

The Tracie Price trained Pinky Rocks, a daughter of Tommy Shelby and Rock It Barcia, made amends for a luckless run in a heat of the Anniversary Cup the previous week when taking on the Eric Lewis Memorial over 600 metres.

Having her first start over the distance, the speedy black bitch quickly took up the running from box seven and was never headed, eventually running out a 2½ length winner over Blue Moon Marie with a further half-length back to Aston Sushi in a race record 34.77 seconds.

Pinky Rocks, now a winner of 13 races from 32 starts, is raced by the trainer’s daughter Sarah who plays a significant role in the running of the Compton kennels.

Continuing to race well is Blue Moon Marie, the daughter of Blue Moon Rising and Galactic Athena returning to racing in February this year after a 12-month lay-off which had threatened to end her career.

And Aston Sushi, whose last win had been over 600 metres back in February, showed improvement for Millicent owner-trainer Dave Green and looks close to another win for the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club president.

February 2025 whelping Mocambora Jack brought up the first winner for the Hooked On Scotch x Mocambora Izza litter at last Thursday’s Mount Gambier time-graded meeting.

The white and blue dog was having only his second race start at Tara Raceway on the back of a third placing in a heat of the previous Sunday’s John Reid Memorial Maiden/One Win feature (305 m). And he led all the way from box eight when defeating Cinta’s Gold by two lengths in 17.93 seconds.

By My Redeemer out of Raz’s Girl, Mocambora Izza won 16 races at Tara Raceway and one at Warrnambool prior to whelping the litter out at David Peckham’s Allendale East kennels.

Scott Blacksell, who is based at Cape Bridgewater, retained four of the litter – subsequently broken-in at Koroit by Peter Byrne.

“Our pups have been a bit of a mixed bag,” Blacksell said. “And after putting in quite a bit of time with our four on trial mornings at Tara Raceway, Mocambora Jack is the one who has pleased us most when running third on debut prior to winning last week.”

And in case anyone is wondering about the Mocambora tag attached to Blacksell’s dogs, it is a rural locality and geographic area located south of Casterton which also encompasses private farming land.

Mortlake owner-trainer Shaun Baulch, back among the local winners for the first time in while a couple of weeks ago with Hit Reset, followed up again with Napier Bale in the Trackside Pet Meats TG5+W Stake (400 m).

Lining up for start number 153, the 5½-year-old son of Dyna Villa and Dyna Winter brought up win number 22 when finishing strongly and defeating early leader Compton Bowie by a length in 23.28 seconds.

Enjoying another successful day last week at Tara Raceway were Meningie-based Tim Richards and Tanya Bialek whose day kicked off with a win by Ritza Wotton in the Federal Hotel TG5+W Stake (512 m).

Trained by Richards and owned by Bialek and Millicent-based Mark Dwyer, Ritza Wotton landed his second consecutive 512 metre win in as many weeks when leading all the way from box one and defeating a fast finishing Oregon Caldwell by a half-length in 29.84 seconds.

Then, in the Greg Martlew Autos TG5+W Stake (305 m), the Richards owned and trained Jazzy Boo led all the way from box two, holding on for a head win over Tracie Price’s Compton Shelly in a time of 17.78 seconds.

But for Price it was still a pretty good day after Compton Stella, Compton Zirconia, Compton Copy and Compton Ava were successful for the Compton-based trainer.

Compton Stella quickly found the front from box four in the Greyhoundtips.com TG5+W Stake (305 m) before running out a 5¾ length winner over Cadillac Landau in 17.64 seconds.

In the following race, the Metal Worx TG1-4W Stake (400 m), Compton Zirconia also quickly found the front from box eight when defeating Nulla Danny Boy by 2½ lengths in 23.58 seconds.

And for Compton Copy it was win number 19 after she led all the way from box four in the Williams Crane Hire Stake (400 m). Scoring by five lengths, she defeated Ivory Pygmy by five lengths in a best of day 23.06 seconds.

Wrapping up yet another successful day for the leading trainer was Compton Ava who virtually led all the way from box one in the Klaassens Contractors TG1-4W Stake (305 m). On the line she had 3½ lengths to spare over litter brother Compton Baker in a personal best 17.39 seconds.

But, as it turned out, Price’s day wasn’t over just yet.

With SA racing rules requiring greyhounds to complete a satisfactory trial and obtain a veterinary certificate after having been off the track for 60 or more days, Price had opted to race two of his dogs that were in that category at Warrnambool later that night.

“The dogs in question were Canya Nameless and Huntsman,” he said. “They had both been out for 60-odd days but were certainly ready to race.

“Canya Nameless had been off the scene after sustaining a minor injury while Huntsman’s time out had been as a result of a tail injury which necessitated about three inches being of his tail being removed.

“It’s always pretty tough over at Warrnambool on a Thursday night. Anyway, where possible, a race is always better than a trial so I thought it was probably worth having a crack.”

And it certainly was worth having a crack after both dogs raced on the pace and both won their respective 390 metre races to give Price six winners for the day.