One greyhound that enjoyed a leisurely day back at Tara Raceway yesterday was the David Peckham trained Aston Olenna, the inaugural 305 metre track record holder with a time of 17.49 seconds.
The 37 kilogram fawn dog has been off the scene since early December when, as a $2 favourite, he fell in the SA final of the National Straight Track Championship at Murray Bridge.
Recently, at the Angle Park Greyhound of the Year dinner, he was announced the 2021 SA Short Course Greyhound of the Year.
Yesterday, the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s 2021 Ian Badger Trainer of the Year award was presented to Peckham and the 2021 Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year award to Cap Abbott’s Another Pick.
Given that Aston Olenna had commenced his racing career at Tara Raceway prior to winning the Murray Bridge Straight Track Championship and the SA Straight Track Cup, the local club extended an invitation to Peckham to bring the dog along.
Aston Olenna’s Short Course GOTY win, as well as inclusion in the GRSA 100 Club (as was Tracie Price), wrapped up a big year for Peckham who ended the Tara Raceway year with 148 wins, 107 seconds and 102 thirds.
At the presentation, Peckham made special mention of owners Ray Borda (Aston greyhounds) and the Nineofus Syndicate. But he also acknowledged all the owners who had contributed to make his a record-breaking year.
And in a year that had seen plenty of kilometres clocked up, he thanked Christine Yourgules for her help at the Allendale East kennels and her assistance when travelling to away tracks.
In a nice family touch, Peckham invited his sister Helen Slape, her husband Leon, and their father Allen to join him for the presentation day.
Allen, also a former leading trainer, was awarded life membership of the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club in 1998.
“It must have been 30-odd years ago but I still remember him coming home all excited one day and telling me that chief steward Michael Robinson had just granted him a trainer’s licence,” the proud father said.