Tuesday, June 26, 2018

A return to winning form last Sunday at Tara Raceway for Bomber Creek now has Mortlake trainer Peter Crawley giving serious thought to next month’s Anniversary Cup (512 metres).

Although successful in the interim at Horsham, Ballarat and Warrnambool, Bomber Creek had not won in Mount Gambier since January-February when he recorded consecutive maiden and grade six 512 metre wins in quick times of 29.97 seconds and 29.88 seconds.

In fact, so impressive were the performances that Crawley was of the opinion that the black dog had the potential to be even better than his older half-brother, Zuma Creek, a 29.66 seconds winner at Tara Raceway in January.

Drawn favourably in box two in last Sunday’s winningformula.net.au Mixed Stake (512 m), Bomber Creek gained a nice rails run throughout, taking the lead turning for home and then holding off a determined Fascinated to win by two lengths in a near best of the day 30.23 seconds.

By Magic Sprite, the winner is out of the well-bred Skye Creek (High Earner x Bogie Skye), a winner of six races and also trained by Crawley for Danny Kelly of Purnim.

Kelly bred Bomber Creek and formerly owned the 2½-year-old prior to recently selling him to the Kings Choice Syndicate which had previously raced the Crawley-trained 2016 Mount Gambier Cup finalist Fluke Of Fantasy who went around 121 times for 18 wins and 31 minor placings.

Celebrating 39 years of greyhound racing in Mount Gambier, this year’s Anniversary Cup heats (512 m) will be run on Sunday, July 15 with the final – to be complemented by the John Reid Memorial Maiden final (512 m) and the Eric Lewis Memorial Best 8 (600 m) – run on Sunday, July 22.

The meeting will be a far cry from that of Saturday, July 21, 1979 when the South Eastern Greyhound Racing Club, as it was then known, commenced racing on a track inside the racecourse out at Glenburnie.

There was no tote back then but six bookmakers operated on the 10-race card which included races over 289 metres, 476 metres and 667 metres – Ralph Patzel’s Aqualair winning the first official race to be run at the track, a 289 metre maiden stake that was worth $25 to the winner.

The last race meeting at Glenburnie was run on November 30, 1996, Bushfield trainer Jim Williams winning the final race at the old track with Bush Emma.

Meanwhile, Bomber Creek’s older half-brother, Stellar Creek (by Cosmic Rumble), brought up his second win for Killarney owner-trainer Raylene Gavin who took over the brindle dog as a giveaway in February.

Lining up in the Williams Crane Hire Stake (400 m) on the back of a win over subsequent winner Usain Insane nine days prior, Stellar Creek was always on the pace from box two, taking over the running off the back and then holding out Bank Rogue to win by 1½ lengths in a personal best 23.35 seconds.

Gavin said that she and her husband, Kevin, both long-time participants in the sport, trained only giveaways – Pillar Creek, by Fabregas and another of Skye Creek’s progeny, also earning a cheque for the couple when running second to Hail A Cab in the Gordon Refrigeration Stake (400 m).

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Monday, June 25, 2018

The six-member Burno Syndicate landed their first winner when Ginny Woolf was successful in Sunday’s South Eastern Hotel Stake (512 m) at Tara Raceway.

Lining up from box eight on the back of a 4¼ length second to Pele’s Entity nine days ago at the local track, Ginny Woolf chased Rugged for much of the journey, finishing strongly in the home straight to win by 2¼ lengths in 30.57 seconds.

The July 2016 black bitch is trained at Horsham by Jeff Guy for Damian Chester, Matthew Burnham, John Magro, James Hamilton, David Langeweg and Lucas Williams who purchased the daughter of Magic Sprite shortly after she had won her maiden at Geelong over 400 metres in May.

Speaking after the win, Guy said he had already received calls from excited syndicate members, ensuring that he ordered photographs of the win for the connections, who are based in Victoria.

“For sure, they were excited with the win,” he said. “I’m now looking at the forthcoming Peter Rocket Winter Classic (512 m) which will be run here in August.

“Prior to the boys purchasing her, Ginny Woolf had been running over short courses, so from a classic point of view I reckon there’s more improvement in her yet as she’s still only had two runs over 512 metres.”

And there’s not too much wrong with her breeding, her dam, Molly Molloy, being by Premier Fantasy x Witch Magic and boasting a race record of 48 starts for 16 wins, seven minor placings and more than $35,000 in prizemoney.

It’s a line that Guy has enjoyed much success with, an older half-sister to Molly Molloy, Scrappy Coco, producing countless winners for him, not the least being former Tara Raceway track record holders Brazen Bomber and Paraphernalia.

In the race prior, the Trackside Meats Stake (400 m), the Tracie Price trained Whatta Knocka, whose brother and kennelmate Smart Marty was successful at Tara Raceway last Thursday, displayed plenty of pace to bring up his second win from five starts, scoring by 7¼ lengths in 23.26 seconds.

By Knocka Norris out of Who’s Doing What, the September 2016 blue brindle dog – yet to race over 512 metres – is also nicely placed from a classic age point of view, the Winter Classic being for all dogs and bitches whelped on or after July 1, 2016.

Whatta Knocka was one of four winners for Price – giveaway greyhound Banjo Queen bringing up her twelfth win for local owners Kerry and John Hawker in the Metal Worx Mixed Stake (400 m) while Blanko finished strongly in the home straight to defeat Shaniqua in the Klaassens Contractors Stake (512 m).

And Dimora Flash moved into third spot on the Greyhound of the Year table behind Oh No Beta and Chilly Kiss with an impressive nine length win in the Gambier Vets Stake (512 m) in 30.26 seconds.

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Friday, June 22, 2018

A double, a quinella and a first winner for three hobby greyhound trainers highlighted Thursday afternoon’s time-graded meeting at Tara Raceway.

The Mumbannar training team of Jen and Monty Wilson endured something of a slow start to the season, their first winner not coming until April when give away greyhound Miss Zorro broke a seven month drought to score at the local track.

However, things have picked up a bit since then – Drysdale Creek and Miss Zorro both winning on Thursday, bringing up the couple’s sixth winner this year and their first double since October 2016 when Podium Bound and Podium Time were successful at Tara Raceway.

Drysdale Creek, a son of Cosmic Rumble and Queensland city winner Capella, came into The Border Watch Stake (512 m) with two wins to his name and looking some chance after running a one length third behind Destini Montana the previous week.

As it turned out, the form held up, the brindle dog – another giveaway picked up by the Wilsons – despite being worse than mid-field early, finishing strongly in the home straight to defeat Oemi Allen and Viking Storm in 30.51 seconds.

Miss Zorro led all the way from box one in the winningformula.net.au Stake (400 m), never really looking like losing when finishing 1¼ lengths clear of Mr Perfect, trained by Kevin Ashton who also provided the third placegetter, Dimora Bekim.

By Spring Gun, Miss Zorro is out of Gone Baby Gone, a half-sister to Chilly Babe who is the dam of 2018 Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year contender Chilly Kiss.

Cape Bridgewater owner-trainer Scott Blacksell, a Tara Raceway regular, also brought up his sixth winner for the year when Pinecutter Pete led all the way in the Greyhound-Data.com Stake (512 m), defeating his litter sister and kennelmate Gotta Wobble Up by four lengths in a personal best 30.55 seconds.

By Magic Sprite, the littermates are out of Miss Shirleen, a daughter of Bekim Bale x Swift Blaze and an older full sister to Usain Insane who upset the Nicole Stanley-Nifty Lenehan seven-dog team to impressively win Thursday’s Klaassens Contractors Stake (400 m) in a best of day 23.25 seconds for Allendale East trainer David Peckham.

Pinecutter Pete’s win was Blacksell’s second success in the space of four days, Rusty Sprocket, a nicely bred daughter of Fabregas x Guru Doll, making a successful return after a three-month break when defeating Lektra Brandy over 400 metres at the previous Sunday’s meeting.

And Dita Mitchell, who lined up last week with Jeanie’s Gem – her first runner as a trainer – didn’t have to wait long to lead in her first winner.

After a luckless first-up seventh, the daughter of Banjo Boy x Jeanie’s Wish made amends on Thursday for the Tarpeena-based Mitchell when leading all the way in the Winmore Greyhound Kennels Maiden Stake (400 m) for a three length win in a more than handy 23.59 seconds.

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Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Adelaide race caller come greyhound trainer Ray Fewings kept his more than handy Tara Raceway strike rate intact last Sunday when Castle Rock led all the way to win the Greyhound-Data.com Stake (512 m) in a best of day time of 30.15 seconds.

Fewings, ostensibly in Mount Gambier to call the meeting, brought Castle Rock along for the ride and with a race record of three wins and a second from only four starts, all at Angle Park, the fawn dog was always going to be hard to beat in the grade six event.

Ethics, having her first run at the track for Portland trainer Nicole Stanley, quickly settled in second spot and off the back did look some sort of chance, especially as her most recent form had been more than sound over the distance at Angle Park.

But much to the relief of those who took the short odds – and to the race caller – Castle Rock kept finding in the home straight, eventually running out a three-quarter length winner.

By Barcia Bale out of 22-race winner Sidney’s Shadow (Mogambo x Alana Blues), the September 2016 fawn dog was bred at Strathalbyn by Karen Butcher who has since bred another litter out of Castle Rock’s dam, this time using Worm Burner who is owned by her in-laws, Cameron and Yvonne Butcher.

Fewings, who purchased Castle Rock as a pup prior to rearing him at Williamstown, said that he had initially copped a bit of criticism over the selection of the fawn dog.

“I wanted a fawn pup, right or wrong. But as he was growing up I had a few ‘experts’ tell me that his conformation was all wrong and that he probably wouldn’t be much good from a racing point of view.

“Well, he’s now broken 30 seconds at Angle Park and won four races from five starts so I’m now wondering just how good he could have been if it hadn’t been for his conformation,” he said, facetiously.

Castle Rock is an ideal age for next month’s Angle Park Champion Puppy Classic (515 m) – for dogs and bitches whelped on or after July 1, 2016 – although Fewings said he was unlikely to tackle the long-running event.

“I think that might be a bit tough for him,” he said, following last Sunday’s win. “But I am looking at the forthcoming Peter Rocket Winter Classic (512 m) down here. I think that would be a better fit for him.”

To be run in August, the 2018 Peter Rocket Winter Classic is a non-penalty event for all dogs and bitches whelped on or after July 1, 2016.

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Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Cashmore trainer Ben Boers, after recently whelping down his 2015 Mount Gambier Cup winner Lots Of Yap’s litter by Nitro Burst, was back at Tara Raceway last Friday with Hail A Cab who made it back-to-back wins when leading all the way in the South Eastern Hotel Stake (400 metres).

Hail A Cab is the dog that won his maiden at Tara Raceway last November when defeating subsequent Mount Gambier Cup finalist Verev and then struggled to find winning form again in the ensuing six months.

But over the past month or so the black dog has gone around on five occasions for three wins and two minor placings, Boers putting the improved form down to smaller fields.

“I think the smaller fields he’s been recently encountering have certainly helped because he’s been finding less trouble in his races. It’s also possible that he’s a bit of a late maturer,” he said.

Raced by Damien Anderson, Hail A Cab is by Don’t Knocka Him, the 2012 Victorian Greyhound of the Year, out of the city-winning Taxi Sono Qui who has gone on to produce city winners from a second litter.

Winners among her second litter, by Vapour Whirl, are Power To Wyn, a winner of five races including Sandown Park, and Rowchester Miss who has won three races, all at The Meadows.

Hail A Cab will now take another step up in class when he tackles a handy grade five field at Tara Raceway on Sunday afternoon in the Gordon Refrigeration Stake (400 m).

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