Thursday, May 31, 2018

It’s been a while now since those heady days of early 2015 when rookie greyhound trainer Ben Boers of Portland won the Mount Gambier Cup with Lots Of Yap.

Both trainer and dog were virtual unknowns at the time but her win after gaining a run from box one as a reserve set the scene for further involvement from Ben and Lizzie Boers and, of course, the prospect of down the track of breeding with the cup winner.

Lots Of Yap’s bloodlines stack up pretty well, with her sire being the 2004 Irish Greyhound of the Year Premier Fantasy and her dam Have A Yap (Collision x Token Whiz) a winner of 37 races, including the 2012 Group 1 Waterloo Cup, in New Zealand.

Her first pups have been a while coming, a mix-up first time around ensuring Boers “ticked all the boxes” when she next came on season.

As far as sires were concerned, he’d been talking Nitro Burst for quite a while and in the end he was the dog that he settled on. A winner of 12 races, including the 2008 Group 1 Vic Peters Classic at Wentworth Park, from only 32 starts, Nitro Burst is a son of Bombastic Shiraz and Hotburst.

“One of the contributing factors to the mating was that I liked the match up of the dam lines of Nitro Burst and Lots Of Yap,” he said.

Last week Lots Of Yap finally whelped her first litter – two dogs and five bitches with Boers proudly declaring that “these are beautiful pups.”

Thursday, May 31, 2018

The clash of Hutch and Solitary Lad in Sunday’s Williams Crane Hire Open Stake (512 m) should be one of the highlights of the 11-race programme.

Solitary Lad’s trainer, Richard Clayfield of Glenroy, said this week that another forward showing on Sunday would see him nominate the brindle dog, a winner at his past two starts, for Angle Park next Thursday night.

By Lonesome Cry x Up And Away, Solitary Lad is a half-brother to Upset Boy, Clayfield’s last runner at Angle Park three years ago.

Hutch appears to be finding top form again, working home well behind Solitary Lad last Sunday for a 2½ length second while Nimble Foot, also trained by Halliday, will add even more interest to the race.

And the Greg Martlew Autos Stake (400 m) looks another top race with Nicole Stanley’s Greyhound of the Year leader Oh No Beta well drawn in box eight.

Halliday’s Spirited Bingle looks one of the main dangers after running Oh No Beta to a half length last Sunday while Robert Duncan’s Xtreme Gift is unbeaten in three starts at the track and distance.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Greyhound participants from both sides of the border are reminded of the forthcoming Greyhound Racing SA industry and engagement session – including light refreshments – which will be held at Tara Raceway next Tuesday (June 5) from 6 p.m.

GRSA board and senior managers will be in attendance and provide participants with an opportunity to raise and discuss important industry matters. Participants will also hear GRSA’s plans for the short term future of the local industry.

GRSA has already announced that it will be raising returns to the industry from July 1 and again upon the commencement of racing at Murray Bridge.

Thursday night Angle Park stakemoney across all grades is to increase by five percent while the existing $15 unplaced payment that currently applies will be replaced by a new $20 Trainer Raceday Subsidy (TRS) with 100 percent of that payment being allocated directly to trainers.

This payment is in addition to the current $60 trainer rebate and will be allocated to unplaced greyhounds under circumstances wherein the $15 payment would have previously applied.

Upon the commencement of racing at Murray Bridge, the number of weekly Category 2 meetings (currently Monday and Tuesday) will increase to three and be conducted at Gawler (Sunday), Murray Bridge (Monday) and Angle Park (Tuesday).

A more detailed update in relation to these increases – as well as a number of other industry developments, including strategies to support rearing and breaking-in services and greater utility of TAB tracks for greyhound education and training – will be provided at Tuesday night’s industry and engagement session.

For the purpose of catering arrangements, it would be appreciated if participants could confirm their attendance by contacting Sheridan Milam (08) 8243 7118 or Barry Shepheard 0419 824 512.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Last Sunday’s JB Irrigation Stake (512 metres) at Tara Raceway turned out to be a memorable race for Kongorong greyhound trainer John Little and the Bungaloo Syndicate when Springvale Alysa, Bungaloo Thor and Bungaloo Ruby filled the placings.

As far as Springvale Alysa was concerned it was a case of the black bitch maintaining her unbeaten record at the track, bringing up her third 512 metre win at Tara Raceway after quickly finding the front and then defying her kennelmates to run her down in a personal best time of 30.07 seconds.

And littermates Bungaloo Thor and Bungaloo Ruby, by Addis Boy out of 2013 Mount Gambier Anniversary Cup winner Camo’s Prinny – and bred by Little – both ran up to their best form.

By Dyna Double One x Springvale Cool, Springvale Alysa’s the dog that Little, and his partners Kevin Mullan and Liz Newberry, purchased from Adelaide with proceeds from their winning Calcutta investment after Xtreme Caution had won this year’s Mount Gambier Cup.

With a win also at Warrnambool in early May, she’s been a handy pick-up for the syndicate, now looking to further boost her earnings in the forthcoming Auction Series at Angle Park.

A series for greyhounds sold through the 2016 Auction Series at Angle Park, $4590 heats will be run at Angle Park over 515 metres on June 7 with the $19,000 final a week later, along with a $4590 consolation for greyhounds failing to make the final.

Also likely to tackle the Auction Series is the Nicole Stanley trained Bereluke, a 29.78 seconds winner over 515 metres at Sandown Park in early May.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Three years ago owner Robert Chuck listened on the radio at Moorak to his greyhound Galactic Viper win the Group 3 Howard Ashton Classic at Angle Park.

It was a win that had got off to something of a rocky start when Galactic Viper’s trainer at the time, David Geall of Lara in Victoria, a month earlier on April 27, 2015 had made the long trip to Angle Park to run the dog in a lead-up race in readiness for the $35,700 classic.

However, he missed the turn-off to the track and by the time he found his way back to Angle Park he had been too late for kennelling and Galactic Viper was declared a late scratching.

The following week, though, he ran second in a heat, third in a semi-final a week later and then on May 28 won the $25,000-to-the-winner final – which included Mojito Mayhem, later a multiple cups winner and track record holder at Tara Raceway – by six lengths in 29.83 seconds.

It’s probably fair to say that Chuck still regrets not being at Angle Park that night to witness what has been his biggest win in greyhound racing.

But he will be at Angle Park tomorrow night, along with Worrolong trainer Steve Bartholomew, cheering on Galactic Panther, a dog he bred and owns, as he attempts to win the 515 metre 2018 Group 3 Howard Ashton Classic.

And in what will be a big night for local greyhounds, Compton trainer Tracie Price has Paraphernalia (box 1), Bekim Lucy’s (box 8) and Cryer’s Plugger (box 8) lining up in heats of the Shane McQueen (600 m).