Yesterday’s highly anticipated clash at Tara Raceway between Mount Gambier Cup contenders Giant’s Flash and Rio Hato in the Williams Crane Hire Mixed Stake (512 metres) certainly lived up to expectations.

This was always going to be Giant’s Flash’s toughest test since joining Tracie Price’s Compton kennels in January. Upon arrival, he promptly ran a track record of 29.19 seconds over 512 metres in a time-graded 1-4 wins stake.

The son of Banjo Boy x Navada Flame then followed up with a four length win over promising youngster Lektra Rhino in 29.39 seconds in a grade six event on February 13.

But yesterday’s mixed 4/5 stake was certainly a step up in class given the inclusion of well-performed Victorian bitch Rio Hato, a winner of eight races from only 12 starts.

The race soon developed into a two-dog affair. Rio Hato, a winner of her past three starts over distances ranging from 385 metres to 410 metres, took the lead going into the back straight before quickly opening up a two-length break over Giant’s Flash.

And it wasn’t until the pair hit the home straight that Giant’s Flash found the front before running out a two lengths winner in 29.71 seconds.

With several niggling issues having curtailed Giant’s Flash’s recent racing schedule, Price was quick to check out the black dog’s webbing on a front foot after the race.

“It’s been a bit of an issue for a while,” he said. “But he looks to have pulled up well today and that’s really pleasing. I was also very pleased with the way he stretched out and finished off the race.”

Price said he was still undecided as to whether he would run Giant’s Flash in next week’s heats of the Murray Bridge Cup (455 m) as a lead-up to the Carlin & Gazzard MG Mount Gambier Cup, heats of which will be run on Sunday, April 3.

“I haven’t written off the Murray Bridge Cup with Giant’s Flash or his litter sister Minnie Banjo who recently ran a good second behind Departure Gate over 512 metres. Since then she has won at Murray Bridge and looked good today over 400 metres,” he said.

“There are certainly attractive incentives to tackle both cups so I’ll just have to see what this week brings.”

Rio Hato, who is trained at Wattle Flat by Rosalyn Hume, was handled yesterday by owner Geoff Collins, well known in Australian greyhound racing circles but at Tara Raceway for the first time.

And he was more than happy with the brindle bitch’s first-up run at the track, given the winner’s time of 29.71 seconds.

“I also thought she ran the race out pretty well considering she hadn’t been over this sort of distance since last August,” he said.

“Look, the cup is still on the radar. And there’s a chance I might return with her before the heats to give her another look at the track.”

Collins and Hume established World Class Sires, a decision that stemmed from what they believed to be a need to bring international breeding options to the Australian greyhound scene.

Rio Hato is by the boom US sire Superior Panama out of the 20-race winner Little Bit Sweet.

Meanwhile, Mortlake trainer Peter Crawley will be hoping the Faye Craig owned Mick’s Kimmy can emulate her dam, Mick’s Angel, in the Rock’s Tavern Distance (732 m) – one of the feature events on cup day on Sunday, April 10.

Also owned by Craig, Mick’s Angel was trained at Hopper’s Crossing by Allan Meyer who ventured over to Tara Raceway for the first time back in 2018 with the daughter of Kilty Lad and Seabrook Lass.

A winner of 12 races and more than $85,000 in stakemoney, Mick’s Angel defeated Cryer’s Plugger and Bekim Lucy’s in the cup day distance in a time of 43.94 seconds.

Mick’s Kimmy, third behind New Year Tears over the staying journey the previous week, was still chasing her first win this year when lining up in yesterday’s Metal Worx Stake (732 m) from box five.

Midfield early, the fawn bitch was always travelling well before storming home for a 2¼ length win over New Year Tears in 43.71 seconds. This was her first distance success and took her overall winning tally to four from 82 starts.

The strike rate doesn’t look all that good but as far as Crawley is concerned it’s been a frustrating couple of years with Mick’s Kimmy.

“The biggest problem I’ve had with her in all the time I’ve been training her has been a lack of distance races. But when I was finally able to get her into distance races over consecutive weeks I was pretty confident she would perform well.

“And, to be honest, I thought she was travelling like a winner a long way from home.”

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It was only a couple of weeks ago that Millie Bay won her second race at Tara Raceway for Portland owner-trainer Andy Graham.

By Sulzanti, the fawn bitch is out of Graham’s former smart chaser Cee Anna Rose’s fourth and final litter. In fact, he rates her as his best dog in a 20-year involvement in greyhound racing.

“Cee Anna Rose raced on only 18 occasions but won six races, including two at The Meadows and ran nine minor placings on Victorian tracks,” he said.

“She’s a daughter of Senni Wendy who I purchased for breeding after she had raced on 94 occasions for 17 wins and $36,000 in stakemoney.”

Millie Bay went around again last Thursday, finding the going pretty tough when running into Mrs. Watson. However, earlier in the day she did produce her first winner when Graham’s Bay Side won on debut in the Greg Martlew Autos Maiden Stake (400 m).

Actually, two other members of the litter – Sea Storm Bay and See Anna Bay – were also having their first starts in the same race. But it was Bay Side who led all the way when defeating Cloned by 2½ lengths in a handy 23.46 seconds.

“I had trialled him once over 400 metres and he went around in 23.77 seconds so I figured he was probably worth nominating. Most certainly, I was more than happy with his effort today,” Graham said.

By Bad Boy Tex, Millie Bay’s litter was whelped in March 2020. However, at the time neither the sire nor dam had even been named. Graham takes up the story.

“I’d purchased Bad Boy Tex as a pup and was rearing him in a run together with Millie Bay. To cut a long story short, she came in season, unbeknown to me they mated and I ended up with four pups.

“I have to say, Greyhound Racing Victoria was very good in regard to the naming of the sire and dam and in relation to DNA testing and relevant paper work.

“Now I don’t reckon it will be too long before mother and son clash in a race at Tara Raceway.”

Incidentally, according to Graham, Bad Boy Tex never showed any inclination to be a racing dog and was placed in the GAP program.

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The introduction of yesterday’s Fast Forward time-graded series at Tara Raceway threw up something of a surprise when former NSW greyhound Mrs. Watson ran the fastest of the five 1-4 wins heats over 400 metres.

And, it seems, no one was more surprised than her Mortlake-based owner-trainer Shaun Baulch, a regular at Mount Gambier’s Thursday afternoon meetings.

“Gee, I certainly didn’t see that coming,” a delighted Baulch said after the blue daughter of Ando’s Mac and Flying Kitty led all the way in the third heat to score an 11¼ lengths win in a best of day 22.92 seconds.

Flying Kitty is a litter sister to Keybow, a winner of 27 races and more than $580,000 in stakemoney. And for Baulch it was a case of being in the right place at the right time late last year when Mrs. Watson was advertised as a giveaway.

“She had raced only twice at The Gardens over 272 metres when she was advertised so I figured there could be a bit more improvement in her, especially given her excellent bloodlines,” he said.

Yesterday’s win was Mrs. Watson’s second after she had won her maiden for Baulch last month at Warrnambool over 450 metres.

As far as race times are concerned, she now heads into next week’s Fast Forward final with a slight edge over Correlate who clocked 23.13 seconds when defeating her kennelmates Trademark Bourne and Recapture Time.

Formerly trained at Allendale East by David Peckham, Correlate was later transferred to the Langhorne Creek kennels of Tony Hinrichsen who trained a double with Major Tom Fury and Cash Storm.

And Purdeet-based Annette Kampman couldn’t remember the last time she had trained a double after litter sisters Myola Queen and Myola Pocket both scored easy wins in their respective races.

Also bred by Kampman, the October 2019 daughters of Lightning Frank and Pocket Queen both brought up their second wins yesterday. Myola Pocket scored a dashing win in the second heat of the Fast Forward and is now in line for a run in the final.

The final field of eight will be made up of greyhounds running the fastest times in the heats, regardless of their position in those heats.

Although yet to be confirmed, the final field is likely to come from the following: Mrs. Watson 22.92, Correlate 23.13, Trademark Bourne 23.22, Recapture Time 23.27, Galactic Dreamer 23.30, Compton Banjo 23.39, Johnny Deeds 23.44, Myola Pocket 23.45, Gold Mate 23.45, Toora Zara 23.60.

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Meningie trainer Tim Richards’ outstanding run at Mount Gambier’s Tara Raceway over the past 12 months continued yesterday when He’s All Purpose scored a dominant win in the Carlin & Gazzard MG Summer Classic (512 metres).

A year ago the Richards-trained Justice For All had scored a big win in the Summer Classic in race record time of 29.59 seconds. And He’s All Purpose was just as impressive after rounding up tearaway leader Moth Rocks down the back straight and going on to an eight lengths win.

Filling the minor placings were Phil Lenehan’s promising youngsters Moth Rocks and Lektra Rhino who worked home well in a time of 30.62 seconds on what was most definitely a rain-affected track.

By Aston Dee Bee out of Purpose Driven, a multiple 731 metres winner at Angle Park, He’s All Purpose was picked up as a pup by Richards in a two-for-two rearing deal with Meningie breeder Cameron Butcher.

Whelped in February 2020, the black dog first drew attention to himself at Tara Raceway when winning a heat of the SA Country Cup (512 m) last September in 29.69 seconds.

The following month he became the first Mount Gambier representative to win the restructured Country Cup at Angle Park on Adelaide Cup night when defeating Barbados Express and Sudden Force.

In November, Crush Your Enemy – also a winner yesterday over 600 metres – won the time-honoured Newman McDonnell Memorial (512 m). Then, just to top off a productive 12 months, there was Almighty Stripe’s 400 metre track record in April.

First run in 2015, Summer Classic winners such as Cryer’s Ricky, Menzel Boys, Hutch and Galactic Panther all went on the following month to reach the final of the Mount Gambier Cup.

But Richards hasn’t yet decided whether he will follow the same path with He’s All Purpose.

“Look, he’s still only two years old and because of the age restrictions was certainly well placed in today’s Summer Classic,” he said.

“But he’s still learning what it’s all about and I reckon I have to pick my races with him. At this stage I’d rate him a good, solid dog but certainly no champion.

“Don’t get me wrong though, it was certainly a big thrill to win another Summer Classic. I certainly appreciate the effort the Mount Gambier club puts in and Carlin & Gazzard’s sponsorship.”

For Richards, it’s another busy few months coming up with the former premiership football coach taking charge of the Jervois B grade side this season.

And among those joining him at the Summer Classic presentation was an old footballing mate in Darren Mansell who played 151 games for Glenelg in a nine-year career between 1987 and 1995.

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Despite being down the line in yesterday’s final round of the Grantville Court Salvation Army Thrift Shop Tara Tipsters Chasing for Charity on-track promotion, Michael Robinson still ran out a comfortable 16-point series winner over Jason Newman.

This was the fourth charity promotion, run under the guise of the Tara Tipsters, which has been supported by Tara Raceway regulars at Mount Gambier’s weekly greyhound racing meetings on Thursday and Sunday afternoons.

Previous local charities to have benefited from the promotion have been the Sunset Community Kitchen, Foodbank and the Visually Impaired Club of Mount Gambier.

A cheque will be presented to representatives from the Thrift Shop after the running of the Grantville Court Thrift Shop Stake (512 m) at Tara Raceway on Sunday, March 27.

The next four-month series, which commences on Sunday, will be supporting Four Reasons Why which was founded by Trudi Shelton, a Mount Gambier single mother of four. FRW is an initiative that strives hard to provide support, assistance and opportunities to locals in need.

At each meeting the Tara Tipsters donate a few dollars to the charity jar and submit their tips in a bid to gain the “bragging rights” for the day.

Meanwhile, greyhound racing’s Mount Gambier Cup Calcutta, last conducted in 2019 due to Covid restrictions, will return this year and be run in conjunction with the Mount Gambier Harness Racing Club’s Pacing Gold Cup Calcutta.

The Gold Cup Calcutta will be conducted on the final which will be run on Saturday, April 2 while the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s Cup Calcutta will incorporate the following day’s Tara Raceway heats.

Complementing the “Triple Treat of Racing”, the Calcutta night will kick off at 6.30 on Friday, April 1 at Mount Gambier’s Commercial Hotel on Commercial Street West.

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