It took a while but Princetown owner-trainer April Janssen’s Swift Gift finally broke through for her second win when successful in the Cadillac Racing TG1-4W Stake (512 metres) at Tara Raceway’s time-graded meeting last Thursday.

By Aston Rupee out of Mepunga Bella, Swift Gift, after appearing to struggle over distances of 500 metres or more, had been picked up by Janssen as give away last year.

And the fawn bitch quickly opened her winning account at Tara Raceway back at the end of October when winning over 400 metres in a time of 23.87 seconds at her second race start.

But at her 37th start last week she had still been chasing her second win although to be fair some of her efforts over the longer journey had been pretty handy. In fact, her last start at the local track had been back in May when she had been beaten only 1¾ lengths in a 600 metre event.

Lining up from box five last week on the back of unplaced runs over 595 metres and 450 metres at Sandown Park and Warrnambool in June, Swift Gift led all the way and defeated kennelmate Princetown Flyer – in second spot throughout – by 1¼ lengths in a tidy 29.89 seconds.

For the two-dog trainer it had been her first win since Princetown Flyer had been successful at Tara Raceway over 512 metres back in March.

“I was really pleased with Swift Gift’s effort given that she had been experiencing dew claw problems so I recently had them removed,” Janssen said. “And she certainly came back fresh and keen to go today.”

And recently she added a couple of four-month-old black pups by Plaintiff out of Osprey Rose – 17 wins and $73,000 in prize money – to her team. Interestingly, one of the pups in the litter is a dun colour, certainly something of a rarity these days.

“The pups are absolutely gorgeous,” she said. “And I’m now really looking forward to watching them grow up.”

In the race prior, the Da’Leni Meats TG5+W Stake (512 m), Edenhope owner-trainer Cap Abbott of Cadillac Racing also landed a quinella when veteran chaser Cadillac Patch defeated Top Cadillac, last year’s joint Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year with Mister Cadillac.

A December 2020 son of Aussie Infrared and Lady Bang Bang, Cadillac Patch brought up his 17th win at start number 152 when railing through off the back and running out a 2½ length winner in 30.29 seconds.

Meanwhile, Wonwondah trainer Michael Callanan was back chasing his second winner at the track following Nyah Nyah Demon’s win in a Masters 305 metre event in March this year.

Lining up in the first race, the Carlin & Gazzard TG1-4W Stake (305 m), was Far Out Scout, a daughter of Fernando Bale and former smart bitch Yindi Girl Turbo who won 14 races and $74,000 in prize money.

In Callanan’s kennels since last November, Far Out Scout brought up her third win for her current trainer when leading all the way and defeating Shanny Rose by two lengths in 17.75 seconds.

According to Callanan, the giveaway greyhound is shortly destined for the couch when she joins owner Nicholas Wuksta in Melbourne.

“But things are becoming somewhat busier,” said the trainer of five years. “Besides working, I’m also training three and also rearing some pups for Ian Bibby of Warracknabeal on my property which is situated about 15 kilometres out of Horsham.”

Warrnambool Greyhound Racing Club president Rob Gore, back at Tara Raceway last week with his wife Linda’s Moonlight Jazz and his own Moonlight Grand, landed a husband and wife double.

Having her first run for a couple of months, Moonlight Jazz, a daughter of Cosmic Rumble and My Girl Kizzy, led all the way in the Gordon Refrigeration TG1-4W Stake (305 m) for a two length win over Resident Evil in 18.03 seconds.

The win was her third at the track and preceded a win the following day by litter brother Moonlight River who was successful at Geelong over 460 metres for Linda Gore and Rowsley trainer Matt Lanigan.

And Moonlight Grand never looked like being beaten when bringing up her tenth win after quickly finding the front in the Klaassens Contractors TG5+W Stake (400 m) before running out a 2¼ length winner over Cadillac Lloyd in a time of 23.34 seconds.