Wednesday, February 12, 2020
It was at Tara Raceway on Friday, February 13, 2015 when the inaugural Summer Classic (512 metres), for dogs and bitches whelped on or after January 1, 2013, was won by the Tom Cryer trained Cryer’s Ricky.
As luck would have it, Cryer’s Ricky gained a start as a reserve in the final and led all the way from box four to defeat Future Past and Andy Jay in 29.96 seconds.
Running fourth was Lots Of Yap, who a month later figured in another feature final, this time the luck going her way when she won the 35th Mount Gambier Cup (512 m), after gaining a start from box one as a reserve for Ben Boers.
Subsequent Summer Classic winners have been Menzel Boys (Lisa Rasmussen), Hutch (Robert Halliday), Galactic Panther (Steve Bartholomew) and Banjo Bad Boy (Dean Fennell), this year’s batch of 2018-whelped youngsters arguably making up the best-ever line-up.
And with Rocketline, Sweet On Me and Burst The Seam clashing in the first of the three classic heats at Tara Raceway on Sunday, the stage is set for a terrific afternoon of greyhound racing.
Compton trainer Tracie Price and local owners Michael Robinson and Willie Vossen will be chasing their second feature win this year with Rocketline, the May 2018 whelping winning the Sims Family Memorial (512 m) last month.
By Peter Rocket out of Headline, Rocketline then came out a fortnight ago and posted an emphatic 2¾ lengths win over Fabs You Go in a Maiden/One Win (512 m) in a personal best time of 29.76 seconds.
Sweet On Me, a recent purchase by Ross Schurgott’s currently on-fire Nineofus Syndicate – three winners at Tara Raceway last Sunday and another one at Angle Park the following night – turned in a terrific classic trial in the Bartholomew Pick 6 Stake (512 m).
Having her fourth start over the journey, the daughter of Barcia Bale x Call Me Gee maintained her unbeaten 512 metre record at Tara Raceway for Allendale East trainer David Peckham when scoring an eight length win over Banjo Lass in a quick 29.62 seconds.
Burst The Seam, trained at Portland by Nicole Stanley for Glen Burns, hasn’t raced at Tara Raceway but the black dog boasts an impressive record of seven wins and two seconds from 19 starts and has quick winning times at Warrnambool, Shepparton and Geelong.
By Barcia Bale, Burst The Seam is out of Bit Berger, a winner of two races at Tara Raceway in 2014 before relocating to Victoria where she ended her career with 21 wins and $43,000 in stakemoney.
Call Me Billy, a litter brother of Sweet On Me and raced in similar interests, looks well placed in the second heat after a 29.67 seconds 512 metres win over Oscar The Scout at Tara Raceway a month ago.
Ashby Mayhem, a nicely-bred giveaway greyhound by Barcia Bale out of Glass Roof, clocked 29.79 seconds for Brendan Bunworth when running a 5¼ length third on February 2 behind Dyna Carnie – one greyhound the Penshurst owner-trainer certainly won’t be sorry to dodge.
And Vossy, who ran 29.99 seconds when leading all the way to defeat Local Brew on the same day, will also find the second heat somewhat more to her liking after encountering Dyna Carnie in near record-breaking form last Sunday.
A daughter of Dyna Double One and Miss Freelove, the April 2018 fawn bitch has now won five races from nine starts and is part of a strong classic team for Price, Robinson and Vossen.
In fact, the trio also holds a strong hand in the third heat with Rocketline’s sister Tandiki, whose best time at the track is a quick 29.66 seconds and who has been far from disgraced at her past two starts when running second to Dyna Carnie.
Robinson also has Perseverance, trained at Glencoe by Dean Fennell, engaged in heat three. Slow early but strong late, the sister to Vossy is a winner of five races and will appreciate the drop back from Open class to racing against her own age.
Adding further interest to the final heat is Portland owner-trainer Andy Graham’s Bay Me, an impressive 29.81 seconds 512 metre winner at last Sunday’s meeting. She is by Nitro Burst out of Lots Of Yap who won a 2015 Summer Classic heat.