Leading Mount Gambier trainer Tracie Price, of Compton, enjoyed his best day this year at Tara Raceway when leading in five winners last Sunday on the 12-race card.
Kicking off his day was first starter Compton Gypsy in the Produce Store Maiden/One Win Stake (400 metres). Then in the Federal Hotel Mixed Stake (305 m) Wilder scored a narrow win over a tidy field of short-coursers.
In the Quickmix Concrete Group Stake (400 m), Trial King continued his consistent run for Price with an impressive win over Princess To Burn. And Raven Peter carved out a best of day 29.73 seconds in the Cadillac Racing Stake (512 m).
Wrapping up the day and bringing up the trainer’s fifth win was Cruising Billy who defeated 27-race winner Cadillac Ragtop by a length in a quick 22.96 seconds.
For Price, five winners in a day come along at reasonably regular intervals. But back on March 13, 2022 at Tara Raceway he really excelled with a best day ever effort of seven winners.
Charley Davidson was successful over 305 m in 17.55 seconds. Then Warby’s Delight followed up with a 305 m win in 17.98 seconds. Gold Comet won over 400 m in 23.36 seconds while Whole Way carved out a tidy 34.91 seconds in a 600 metre win.
Successfully following were Banjo Boy x Navada Flame littermates Banjo Bert (400 m), Giant’s Flash (512 m) and Mini Banjo (400 m).
Meanwhile, Compton Gypsy, the lively 28 kilogram black bitch who is barely old enough to race, impressed on debut last Sunday when leading all the way from box one and running out a 6¾ length winner over Hotfoot Derry in 23.25 seconds.
By Bernardo out of Rhonda Lily, who won 19 races and ran 41 minor placings from 101 starts for $52,000 in prize money, the winner was bred by Price who races her in partnership with his wife Karen.
Wilder, who found his way into Price’s kennels via Terry Hill at 15 months of age, defeated Super Seabird by a nose when finishing strongly for a 17.63 seconds win.
Raced by family members Sarah and Brooklyn, in partnership with Garry Harding, Wilder, a son of US sire Need My Moneynow and Wild Marilyn, has now won 16 races.
It seems former Victorian greyhound Trial King, so named after earning the reputation of being a good trial dog, has also turned into a good racing dog since joining the Price kennels back in July.
Now the winner of six races from 10 starts, the son of Shima Shine and Aqua Edie, who is raced by the Khan Omerogullari managed Hustle Syndicate, could be set for the forthcoming Cadillac Racing Spring Classic (512 m), an age-restricted series for greyhounds whelped on or after July 1, 2023.
The Justin Tribe owned Raven Peter took his earnings to $67,000 when leading all the way in what turned out to be a three-dog race due to scratchings.
The son of Aston Rupee and My Black Raven has been around a bit – racing in Victoria, then in Adelaide prior to relocating to Price’s Compton kennels. Then he found himself back in Victoria before returning to Mount Gambier and picking up last Sunday’s win.
And after finishing strongly, Cruising Billy, a son of Mepunga Cruzer and Mepunga Debbie, was back among the winners in the Williams Crane Hire Open Stake (400 m) for long-standing friends, Ashley and Joy McDowall of Nullawarre, and the Price family.
Earlier in the day, another first-up maiden runner in Urban Bites won on debut for Wattle Flat owner and trainer team Geoff Collins and Rosalyn Hume.
Gaining a run as a reserve from box eight in the Carlin & Gazzard Maiden Stake (305 m), Urban Bites quickly found the front from the outside before running out a 4¼ length winner over Little Stefania in 17.87 seconds.
By Allen Deed out of My Dewana Penny – a winner of nine races and $31,000 in prize money – Urban Bites had been purchased as a pup from breeder Ron Martin.
“We had actually purchased two of the litter as pups from Ron when a litter of our own which had been about the same age had only one surviving pup,” Collins said.
Then, a couple of races later, Hume and Collins went close to landing a double after Super Seabird was beaten a whisker by Wilder in the Federal Hotel Mixed Stake (305 m).