Monday, June 17, 2019
With nine winners at Tara Raceway this year, Mumbannar couple Jen and Monty Wilson had done pretty well with their team of giveaway greyhounds.
Their tenth winner came up at last Thursday’s time-graded meeting – knocked around by late scratchings due to transport issues – Cougar Icon at her first start at the track leading all the way from box one to defeat a fast-finishing Akuma Fireball in the Winningformula.net.au Stake (400 metres) in 23.52 seconds.
The only difference with this winner was that Jen Wilson had actually done a bit of homework on the dog and purchased her – something the pair had never done previously – after she had been advertised for sale on Greyhound-Data.
“This one really took my fancy when I saw her advertised,” a beaming Wilson said after the win. “I came across the advertisement on-line one night last month, slept on it, and when I was still keen the next morning decided to contact the seller in Geelong.
“She turned two in January so she was a good age, I liked her sire Kinloch Brae, and I liked the fact that her dam, Luzaka Icon, had won 10 races, many of them over 720 metres at Wentworth Park. Besides, she was within my price range.”
Monty Wilson, who is Cougar Icon’s fourth trainer, said the brindle bitch – a winner at Geelong and Ballarat prior to the sale – was a great kennel dog and a pleasure to have around the place.
As it turned out, it was a good day for the litter, WA-based First Rule some hours later bringing up her fourth win at Mandurah.
Meanwhile, back at Tara Raceway, Flash Jackie, outsider of the 600 metre Gordon Refrigeration Stake field, proved much too good for her three rivals with a four length win in 35.65 seconds for Ross Schurgott and the Nineofus Syndicate.
Trained at Allendale East by David Peckham, the 31 kilogram Flash Jackie is a daughter of Dyna Double One and Striking Viking, a maiden winner at Angle Park prior to winning 14 races at Tara Raceway for the same connections.
Thursday’s win was the first middle-distance winner Striking Viking has produced, the well-bred daughter of Superman and Irish Fantasy herself the inaugural 600 metre record holder at Tara Raceway with a run of 35.38 seconds recorded on November 30, 2014.
And at Tara Raceway on Sunday, Hamilton trainer Tony Harding received a reception matching that of Cryer’s Plugger’s win later in the day in the Winning Post Supplies Iron Dog when Billy Deeds was successful in the Swallow Drive Meats Mixed Stake (400 m).
Having his first start for Harding, Billy Deeds took over the running off the back from Peek’s Gold before hitting the finish line with 1¾ lengths to spare in 23.31 seconds.
A chance phone call a couple of weeks ago from Koroit trainer Garry Anders – looking to make room for one of his pre-trainers – resulted in Harding taking over as owner-trainer of the son of Oaks Road x Mepunga Lana.
“Garry reckoned I should have a bit of fun with him and it’s certainly started out that way,” a delighted Harding said of his $7.50 winner.