Just over 12 months ago Blitz And Bolt had been racing so well at Tara Raceway that majority shareholder and trainer David Peckham, along with co-owners Connie Miller and the Viking Syndicate, reckoned the black dog could be worth a try in the city.
Soon after, Blitz And Bolt was relocated to Adelaide where in the space of six weeks he strung together three wins and three third placings at Angle Park before returning in late August to Peckham at Allendale East.
Part-owner Connie Miller and handler Shane Flink with Blitz And Bolt after his win at Tara Raceway last Sunday.
The son of Cosmic Rumble x Moonshine Sally, picked up by his owners in late 2016 for $1500, all of a sudden was developing into something of a bargain buy.
But soon after returning, Blitz And Bolt sustained a stopper injury which ultimately would see him off the scene for eight months after a further setback in early 2018.
“To be honest, I had my doubts as to whether he would race again,” Peckham said. “However, by last month he had been trialling well so after a lengthy period away from the race track I nominated him for Horsham over 410 metres.
“He came through that run unscathed as he did at his next two 400 metre runs at Tara Raceway where he finished close-up on both occasions.
“No way is he a 400 metre dog but I reckoned he needed one more run before stepping up in distance so that is why he went around last Sunday in the winningformula.net.au Stake. Needless to say, we were all delighted with the run.”
Blitz And Bolt, chasing his first win since July 2017, was away well from box eight, quickly working into second spot behind Cryer’s Harper before railing through on her in the home straight and finishing strongly to win by three lengths in a personal best time of 23.24 seconds.
Peckham said he was now hoping to be able to get enough 512 metre runs into his 14-race winner with a view to next month’s Anniversary Cup, a race which in more recent times has resulted in him reaching the finals with Dare Devil and Sister Aunty Cuz.
The 4½-year-old Cheyenne Black made it three wins in succession when knocking over a pretty handy field of short-coursers in last Sunday’s Klaassens Contractors Open Stake (400 m) at Tara Raceway.
David and Valerie Brodhurst pictured with Cheyenne Black at Tara Raceway on November 15, 2015 after her first win at the track.
Nearing 100 starts, the daughter of Cosmic Chief and Eva’s Flame settled midfield before finishing powerfully in the home straight to run down Problem Solved and Greyhound of the Year leader Oh No Beta.
The winning sequence, which commenced back in April, came after Cheyenne Black had been out of the winner’s list since September last year.
But the black bitch has been a tremendous acquisition for Serviceton couple David and Valerie Brodhurst who purchased her for $1200 in October 2015 prior to her going on to win 16 races at Tara Raceway.
The only downside to last Sunday’s win was the absence of David Brodhurst who at the moment is battling serious health issues.
Let’s hope Cheyenne Black’s win helped, in some small way, to lift the spirits of one of the good guys of greyhound racing.
Rocky, better known as Rockoon to greyhound racing followers, wandered into Tara Raceway on Sunday in typical laid-back fashion, nothing appearing to faze him as trainer Tracie Price went through the ritual of kennelling him in readiness for the Rock’s Retreat Mixed Stake (600 metres) later in the day.
Tracie Price and Rockoon prior to Sunday’s Rock’s Retreat Mixed Stake (600 m) at Tara Raceway.
Rockoon, the best credentialled greyhound to take the trip down Lake Terrace East in quite some time, had recently transferred from Keith Hellmuth’s Pearcedale kennels to Compton, both owner and new trainer hoping the 35 kilogram white and black dog could derive some benefit from a confidence-boosting run in Mount Gambier.
The son of Peter Rocket and Raya Riot hit the headlines last November when winning the Group 1 Hume Cup (600 m) at The Meadows before winning a heat of the Bold Trease over 715 metres at Sandown Park and then running fifth in the final behind million dollar dog Fanta Bale.
But a subsequent injury saw him off the scene for five months, three runs upon return in April and May resulting in well-beaten efforts at Sandown Park and Shepparton – Hellmuth saying later that Rockoon had been trialling as well as ever and that he believed it to be a confidence thing.
And if connections were looking for a confidence booster then Sunday’s five-dog race was probably as good as they could have hoped for with their Group-winning greyhound jumping from box one with a record of 24 starts for 10 wins, eight minor placings and $124,575 in prizemoney.
Pre-race, Price led Rockoon into the parade ring adjacent the kennel house, the trainer appearing to have more spring in his step than his dog.
“He’s just a beautiful dog,” Price told onlookers hanging over the fence looking to check out Rocky who, if nothing else, looked resplendent in a red racing rug that was further highlighted by his big white frame.
“He’s a great kennel dog – quiet, clean and certainly no bother to have around,” he continued.
Next, it was off to the preview area where greyhounds, if trainers believe it necessary, can view the lure going around in what is known as a “stir-up”.
Price opted for a preview, although he could have saved his time, Rockoon giving the impression to the “fence-hangers”, at least, that he was not really all that interested in the lure going around – unlike a couple of his opposition in the preview yard with him that were carrying on in a frenzied fashion.
Ben and Tracie Price and young Harper with Rockoon after his outstanding win on Sunday.
Then it was off to the 600 metre boxes by way of another parade ring stop over, Price and Rockoon leading the way with Good Yarn, Joshy Wink Wink, Vectis Campinae and Hit The Runway following.
Hit The Runway, a last start winner over 600 metres in a handy 35.30 seconds a fortnight earlier at Tara Raceway looked to be Rokoon’s main danger, especially if the son of Oaks Road x Full Noise Turbo could run up to his personal best time of 35.10 seconds.
As it turned out, Rocky had only been kidding. The starting box lids came up and he was off, quickly finding the front over Hit The Runway and prompting race caller Ray Fewings to declare “he’s going like the old Rockoon.”
And then as the margin continued to lengthen, “Tracie Price has revitalised him” and into the home straight, “he might even run a near track record.”
On the line Rockoon had 11 lengths to spare over Hit The Runway with a further six lengths back to Good Yarn in a time of 34.86 seconds.
While it would probably be fair to say that Tara Raceway on Sunday was not really conducive to track record times given the amount of rain in Mount Gambier over the past few days, Rockoon’s run was the second fastest ever at the track – McIvor Verna’s 34.84 seconds run almost 12 months ago to the day.
Rockoon sauntered back to the kennel house, job done, leaving local greyhound enthusiasts to ponder the magnitude of the run and to further appreciate just how good it had been to have a Group 1 greyhound grace their track.
Xtreme Gretel and her Fernando Bale pups.
Meanwhile, another of Price’s stayers in Bekim Lucy’s has been retired for breeding after suffering a wrist injury at Angle Park last Thursday night.
Owned locally by Willie Vossen and Michael Robinson, Bekim Lucy’s raced on 67 occasions for 11 wins and 25 minor placings.
Speaking on Sunday, Robinson said a sire had not yet been chosen for the daughter of Bekim Bale and Lucy’s Moment.
And Brian Weis, of Portland, reports that Xtreme Gretel, the dam of Xtreme Caution, this year’s Mount Gambier Cup winner, has whelped a litter of three dogs and four bitches to boom sire Fernando Bale.
This is the US-bred Xtreme Gretel’s second litter, her first, by Barcia Bale, having now won 48 races.
After some frustrating bureaucracy issues, Dita Mitchell has finally sorted out the paper work, cut through the red tape and is now ready to start racing greyhounds.
Formerly based in Victoria, she relocated to Tarpeena with her partner Michael McPhee in February last year and will have her first runner as an owner-trainer when she leads out Jeanie’s Gem for the Laser Electrical Maiden Stake (400 metres) at Tara Raceway tomorrow.
Dita Mitchell and Banjo Lass pictured at Tara Raceway last Sunday with Harper Diegmann, Brooklyn Winterfield and the Bouchier brothers, Paddy and Isaac.
Also bred by Mitchell, Jeanie’s Gem is by Banjo Boy out of Jeanie’s Wish who from an earlier litter by the beautifully bred Don Chendo (Where’s Pedro x Kilby Supreme) produced eight individual winners.
Mitchell, who has three other members of the Banjo Boy litter yet to race, is of the opinion that Jeanie’s Gem is certainly not the best in the litter although she’s looking forward to boxing her first runner in a race.
“I look at her as a good dog to learn on,” she said. “Really, greyhound racing is simply a hobby for me and all good fun thanks to the great help I’ve received along the way from Tracie (Price) and Michael.”
And Mitchell had something of a dress rehearsal for tomorrow’s race when successfully handling the Price-trained Banjo Lass in the final of last Sunday’s Trackside Meats grade five final (400 m).
A $10 chance despite having won two of her past three starts, Banjo Lass quickly settled on the pace before finishing strongly to grab Cryer’s Harper on the line in a tidy 23.20 seconds.
Owned by Andrew Varasdi, Banjo Lass is by Knocka Norris out of the city-winning Banjo Star who is a litter sister to Varasdi’s successful sire Banjo Boy – connections looking to ultimately breed with last Sunday’s winner.
The grade five 400 metre heats and final series, which offered owners and trainers the opportunity of winning two races in the same grade as well as Open prizemoney for the final, proved to be popular with connections.
Heats of the next grade five 400 metre series will be run on Sunday, July 1 with the $1100 final on Sunday, July 8.
It’s now been four years since Kevin Ashton’s Carrara Lad won his first race – at Shepparton over 390 metres.
Kevin Ashton with Carrara Lad after his win at Tara Raceway last week.
And last week, the fawn dog, after taking the lead down the back straight before running out a 1¾ length winner over Cryer’s Sid in the Gambier Vets Stake (400 metres), brought up his eleventh win at start number 152.
That’s a lot of starts but still a fair way short of David and Toni Jones’s Twistex who went around Tara Raceway as a 4½-year-old in October 2016 at start number 180.
Another durable greyhound to race at the track was the Allen Williams trained 2012 Christmas Cup winner Lika Gem who retired in March 2015 at 63 months of age with 149 starts to his name.
At 71 months, Carrara Lad is quite possibly the oldest dog to have won at Tara Raceway – at least since the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club assumed TAB status some six years ago.
By Mantra Lad out of 11-race winner Dadda Poppa, Carrara Lad has been at Ashton and Jan Neil’s Charlton property since he was three months old.
“Look, he’s not the fastest dog I’ve ever trained but he’s like one of the family after all this time. He’s been injury-free and every time I place him in the boxes I know he’s going to give it his best shot,” Ashton said.
Carrara Lad will be back for today’s time-graded meeting at Tara Raceway, jumping from box four in the Gambier Vets Stake (400 m).
