Bourne Reagan’s win in the Federal Hotel TG1-4W Stake (305 metres) at Tara Raceway last Thursday for Allendale East owner-trainer David Peckham continued the good start for top producer Sweet On Me’s latest litter – by McInerney.

Settling in second spot from box seven, the blue bitch took the lead from Puddin’ Cake turning for home and then held off a fast finishing Cadillac Express – a son of Pindari Express – to win by 1½ lengths in 17.94 seconds.

McInerney, a son of Fernando Bale and Born Ali, won 23 races, including a Million Dollar Chase, for prize money of more than $1.27 million prior to being mated with three bitches in Australia. He was then sold in late 2023 to Ireland where he now stands at FKK Sires.

All told, Bourne Reagan has now won two races and run four placings from nine starts at Tara Raceway. Meanwhile, three littermates in Victoria – Petali, Rich Gairn and Sweet As Kelly – have all opened their winning accounts at The Meadows and Geelong.

And speaking at Tara Raceway last week, Peckham said Bourne Reagan’s Group 1 winning half-sister Bourne Model (by Feral Franky) was soon to be mated with Bernardo, a son of US sire KC And All and Surfonic.

Meanwhile, Meningie Thursday regulars at Tara Raceway in Tanya Bialek and Tim Richards enjoyed another good day at the track after collectively landing a treble with Ritza Wotton, Cantara Pearl and Bulsara.

The Richards trained Ritza Wotton, owned by Bialek and Mark Dwyer, had strung together three consecutive 512 metre wins at the local track prior to dead-heating for second at the previous meeting behind Fantastic Ada.

But the son of Fernando Bale and Ritza Gloria found winning form again – albeit by a half head – when leading all the way from box one and defeating a fast finishing Just Johnnie in 30.10 seconds in the Commercial Hotel TG5+W Stake.

Cantara Pearl, a daughter of Feral Franky and Perseverance, finally broke through for her ninth win from 96 starts for Bialek on the back of five consecutive second placings at Tara Raceway.

Jumping from box eight in the Ontrack Insider TG5+W Stake (305 m), Cantara Pearl chased Cadillac Girl into the home straight before holding out Rocket Susie for a length win in 18.08 seconds.

In the following race, the Produce Store TG5+W Stake (305 m), for the second consecutive week it was Bialek’s Bulsara who finished strongly in the run home when defeating the Richards trained Jazzy Boo.

The Greyhoundtips.com.au TG1-4W Stake Fast Forward final carried a handy $1065 to the winner. And it was leading trainer Tracie Price who brought up a treble on the day after Compton Zirconia defeated Appellant and Linda Lou in the final.

Always on the pace, the son of Smart Knocka and 2021 Mount Gambier Anniversary Cup winner Tandiki finished over the top of Appellant in the run home to win by three-quarters of a length in 23.38 seconds.

Earlier in the day Price had been successful with Cinta’s Gold in the Cadillac Racing Maiden Stake (305 m) in 17.75 seconds and Compton Stella in the Trackside Pet Meats TG5+W Stake (400 m) in a time of 23.14 seconds.

Another Thursday regular – Berringa-based Michael Niele – once again was successful with one of the Feral Franky x Darryl’s Dream litter. This time it was with Speechless in the Icon Signs TG1-4W Stake (305 m).

Well back early from box one, the brindle bitch finished strongly in the run home for a head win over Scott Blacksell’s Mocambora Jack in 17.98 seconds.

Interestingly, at the previous week’s time-graded meeting, Slovakia, a litter sister to Speechless and also trained by Niele, had defeated Blacksell’s Mocambora Mitch – a litter brother to Mocambora Jack – also by a head.

And Victoria has announced a Mount Gambier time standard which will apply to Tier 3 meetings run at specific tracks such as Ballarat, Bendigo, Healesville, Sale, Shepparton, Traralgon and Warragul. The times are 305 m 17.99, 400 m 23.63, 512 m 30.35, 600 m 35.87 and 732 m 44.80.

Also, the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s first Preferential Box Draw (PBD) meeting will be conducted at Tara Raceway on Thursday, August 13.

All greyhounds nominated (including maidens) will be placed in a PBD event. There will be no reserves. The second PBD meeting for the month will be run on Thursday, August 27.

It was back in 2021 that the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club members first commenced their tipping competition, a concept introduced by race day regular Kevin Douglas.

This had been with a view to supporting local charities through the donations of the Tara Tipsters who continue to contribute at the twice-weekly race meetings at Tara Raceway.

And on track last Sunday to receive a donation from the tipsters, following the running of the Tara Tipsters Mixed Stake (512 metres), were Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group representatives Jill Gilmore, Di Norman and Loraine Baron.

The Breast Cancer Awareness Group provides comfort, care and financial support to local breast cancer sufferers through their Helping Hand Bag initiative.

The race itself looked to be an interesting eight-dog affair, especially with the inclusion of Paw Danny, a son of Allen Deed and Enicka Bale, who was having his first run at the local track for Kinglake West trainer Grant Hammerstein.

Away well from box five, Paw Danny took the lead going out of the first turn and from then on was never headed, eventually running out a 4¾ length winner over the Tracie Price trained pair of Chuck A Party and Jetson in a more than tidy time of 29.44 seconds.

The win was the first at Tara Raceway for Hammerstein who had picked up the black dog as a giveaway prior to racing from Victorian trainer Michael Gibbons.

And Paw Danny has done pretty well for him, successful on debut at Shepparton last September prior to winning a further eight races which includes Sandown Park and The Meadows.

“He’s the only one I have racing at the moment,” Hammerstein said. “But I also have six retired greyhounds. And I’ve become so attached to them that they have become family pets.”

Meanwhile, a couple of races earlier, Hammerstein’s nephew, Paul Hammerstein of Horsham, kicked off a successful day for the family after Exactly Like Dad led all the way in the Federal Hotel Stake (400 m) for a 2½ length win over Platoon in 22.82 seconds.

Purchased as a pup, the daughter of Aussie Infrared and Quena Dee Air has now won five races from seven starts. She is a litter sister to Rose’s Marie who won her maiden at Tara Raceway last month and ran third at Warrnambool over 390 metres on Monday afternoon.

On a day of big wins, Rosalyn Hume and Geoff Collins’ Cinematic, by Aston Rupee out of 31-race winner Cosmic Blend, led the way with a 10¼ length win over Integrator in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Stake (305 m). In third spot was Lektra Lee in a quick time of 17.31 seconds.

Fastest 305 metre time of the day was recorded by maiden greyhound Pineview Disco in the Greyhoundtips.com.au Maiden/One Win Stake. He led all the way from box two when defeating another of the Hume-Collins team in Carpark Babe.

Owned by former jockey Louise Cooper, and trained at Compton by Tracie Price, the son of Tommy Shelby and Rock It Barcia scored by 3¾ lengths in 17.27 seconds – only a length outside the track record.

The win was the first of four for Price who took his local tally of wins this year to 125 after Huntsman, Compton Ava and Rocklea Earle wrapped up another successful day for the leading trainer.

Impressing at her first start over 600 metres was One Feather in the Carlin & Gazzard Stake. The daughter of Fernando Bale and Dynamite Miss took the lead down the back straight from Oregon Caldwell before running out a 7¾ length winner over Blue Moon Marie in a quick 34.93 seconds.

The white and black bitch, bred, owned and trained by Gary Lane of Bushfield, boasts an impressive staying line, tracing back to Malfoy, a 732 metre Tara Raceway winner, along with multiple 642 metre wins at Cannington in WA.

And back even further to Al Fresco, a city-winning stayer at Wentworth Park, Sandown Park and The Meadows.

Princetown owner-trainer April Janssen was back with a vengeance last Sunday with Swift Gift who had been chasing her first win since the end of March at Tara Raceway.

Lining up from box seven in the Ontrack Insider Open Stake (400 m), the daughter of Aston Rupee and Mepunga Bella led all the way, running out a 6¼ length winner over Compton Copy in 22.78 seconds.

Another of the giveaway greyhound variety, Swift Gift has won 12 races for Janssen. She now has her sights set on next month’s SA Country Cup (512 m), a maximum of two heats being run at Tara Raceway on Sunday, September 27.

The $10,000 G-Six SA Country Cup final will be run at Angle Park on Adelaide Cup night on Friday, October 9.

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.