As far as locally-based chaser Bad Move was concerned it was a case of first out, first home from box seven in last Sunday’s inaugural Cadillac Racing Cannonball final over 305 metres at Tara Raceway.
Trained at Compton by Tracie Price for Adelaide owner Nick Lalli, Bad Move ran out a three length winner in 17.61 seconds over the Ray Mahony-trained Fend Them Off. Filling third spot was Federal Flash, trained by David Peckham.
According to Price, the high-price black bitch, who is more than paying her way, found her way down to Mount Gambier from Adelaide due to a tendency to want to jump fences.
“Yes, she’s a really keen dog but certainly a good fence hopper to go with it. Bad Move’s previous trainer was unable to free gallop her because of the trait. Hopefully, we now have her sorted,” he said.
She’s by Shima Shine out Slinky Inky, a winner of 14 races and close to $65,000 in prize money. And Slinky Inky’s breeding is interesting, given that she is a daughter of Oaks Road x Mepunga Lana and a litter sister to Wilbur Deeds.
Garry Anders of Koroit bred the litter and raced Wilbur Deeds who went around on 144 occasions for 25 wins. The black dog strung together four wins on the trot at Tara Raceway when 305 metre racing commenced in early 2021 in times of 17.73, 17.73, 17.61 and 17.94 seconds.
Cannonball sponsors, Captain Abbott and Kerry Hawker of the Edenhope-based Cadillac Racing, went out of their way to support the first open 305 metre series to be conducted at Tara Raceway.
And the striking Cadillac Racing banner that they had provided certainly added to the occasion and took pride of place at last Sunday’s race meeting as it will for future Cannonballs.
They also did pretty well on the track themselves when evergreen chaser Nero Valentino led all the way in the Exchange Printers Mixed Stake (512 m) and defeated Grumpy Sailor by 2½ lengths in 30.02 seconds.
The win was the sixth this year at the local track for the son of Fernando Bale and Sweet Barbados. And with 17 seconds and nine thirds as well for a total of 64 points Nero Valentino is looking the likely Greyhound of the Year.
A second win followed in the final race, the Swallow Drive Meats Stake (400 m), after Cadillac Ragtop led all the way from box two for a half-length win over Myall Hiker in 23.12 seconds.
By Premier Fantasy, the black bitch is out of the Edenhope-based Pamela Rocks who has produced 35 winners this year and currently leads the way in the Mount Gambier Leading Dam of the Year award.
And after enjoying little luck at Angle Park last week, Cadillac Racing returns to the city track tonight with Cadillac Patch, Top Cadillac and Mister Cadillac who will contest heats of the Leigh Rogers Feature Grade 6 (530 m).
Meanwhile, Wattle Flat owner Geoff Collins – among the pioneers of the importation of US frozen semen in the 1990s – was back last Sunday with Iron Atlas who is trained by his partner Rosalyn Hume.
And there’s plenty of import in Iron Atlas who is by Fernando Bale, a son of Kelsos Fusileer (US) out of Kasreyn, a daughter of Chasin The Dream (Lonesome Cry x Dreamy Blossom).
“We actually had Kasreyn and ended up with two pups from the litter – Iron Atlas and Admonish,” Collins said.
Collins was at Tara Raceway a month ago with Iron Atlas who ran third over 400 metres behind Current Model. However, at his next start he was a best of night winner at Geelong over 460 metres.
Stepping up to 512 metres in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Stake, the 36 kilogram brindle dog, after finding some early interference, soon sorted himself out and on the line had 10 lengths to spare over Judiciary in 30.10 seconds.
Also of interest, as far as Collins was concerned, was another Price-trained greyhound in Wild Reggie who won a keenly contested Produce Store Stake (400 m) from Popcorn Miss in 23.60 seconds.
Wild Reggie is by US sire Need My Moneynow whose frozen semen was imported to Australia by Collins. The Wild Marilyn litter has now won five races at Tara Raceway.
It had been a good weekend for Need My Moneynow with litter brothers Oregon Durant and Oregon Caldwell winning at The Meadows over 525 metres on Saturday night.
