If an award was being handed out for the most improved greyhound then surely See Nitro would have to be right in the mix.
She’s the Andy Graham owned and trained daughter of Nitro Burst x Lots Of Yap that won at her third start over 400 metres at Tara Raceway back in February, but not long after was able to race only on Victorian tracks due to the border closure.
And it wasn’t until October that See Nitro, after some months in the wilderness at the Horsham and Warrnambool tracks, found herself back at Mount Gambier’s Tara Raceway.
A couple of more than handy wins soon followed but it was her effort to win a smart Bourne Kennels Mixed Stake (512 metres) on Christmas Cup day last Sunday that had Tara Raceway regulars really taking notice.
The race was won at the start, the black bitch going straight to the front from box three before holding out Venus And Mars for a three-quarters of a length win in a best of day 29.78 seconds.
“I always thought she had it in her,” said Graham, a Portland-based plasterer. “She was one of the slower members of the litter at breaking-in but I reckoned that by the time she hit 2½ years of age she would be showing me something.
“Besides, I think she appreciates a little less pressure at Tara Raceway compared to some of the fields that she had run into in Victoria earlier in the year.”
Actually, it was a pretty good couple of meetings for the Ben Boers-bred litter, Laced With Nitro opening her winning account at Tara Raceway in the Metal Worx Maiden Stake (400 m) at the Thursday time-graded meeting.
The black bitch finished over the top of Burnt Fury for a two lengths win in 24.21 seconds. Nothing overly flash in that, but a significant win all the same as far as the breeder-trainer was concerned in that all seven members of the litter have now won.
Originally with Boers, also based at Portland, Laced With Nitro found her way over to Charlton trainer Kevin Ashton prior to racing but started only once for him at Bendigo before being returned to Portland.
“Kevin was having trouble with her running into the catching pen so he suggested sending her back and trying her at Tara Raceway behind the finish-on-lure,” Boers said.
And Nitro Yap’s win at $18 in the Progreyhoundtips.com Open Stake (400 m) last Sunday was the third success for the litter in the space of a few days.
In third spot for much of the journey, the Boers-trained black dog stormed home with a length to spare when running down Jervois Bruit in 23.24 seconds.
Lots Of Yap so far has whelped only one litter. However, Boers said his 2015 Mount Gambier Cup winner was due in season shortly and was likely to be mated with Hooked On Scotch.
Meanwhile, Nitro Yap and See Nitro will line up in grade five heats at tomorrow’s Tara Raceway meeting – the former jumping from box one in the first heat of the rescheduled Newman McDonnell Memorial (512 m).
Nitro Yap’s rivals include Greyhound of the Year leader Perseverance, Santa Sprint winner Falcon Heavy and Rajasthan, a winner of close to $400,000 in stakemoney.
See Nitro, who is dropping back to 400 metres, has drawn box six in the second of two heats. The interesting runner in the race is Montaya who last raced at Tara Raceway 12 months ago when winning her first two races.
By Barcia Bale x Blonde Caviar, Montaya was a winner over 650 metres back in March at Warrnambool and is a half-sister to former Tara Raceway 600 metres record holder McIvor Verna.
Owned and trained at Mortlake by Peter Franklin, best known locally as the trainer of multiple cups winner Mojito Mayhem, Montaya resumed after a three months break at Warrnambool last week with a 1½ lengths second over 390 metres.
