For Portland greyhound trainer Brian Weis the win of Baurna Sal in the Winmore Greyhound Kennels Stake (512 metres) at Tara Raceway on Sunday had been a long time coming.
In fact, it had been 18 months since the 30 kilogram bitch had last won and that was at Tara Raceway in April last year when she defeated Baz’s Moment over 400 metres. Prior to that her only other win had been a maiden 400 metre event in October 2016.
However, 12 months of that time had been spent in retirement, Weis waiting for Baurna Sal to come on season with a view to then mating her with Farmor Las Vegas, a son of Knocka Norris and Farmor Cee You, that had won 26 races and more than $194,000 in stakemoney.
By Spring Gun out of Baurna Molly, Baurna Sal had originally been purchased as a pup by Weis from Portland breeder Robert Halliday with the long term plan being to breed with her and hopefully take advantage of her excellent bloodlines.
Baurna Molly, a Sandown Park and The Meadows winner, boasts an interesting pedigree being by Baurnahulla Hero, a winner in Ireland, America and Australia, out of the unraced Record Keeper, a litter sister to Drone who won the 2009 Mount Gambier Cup for Weis.
But by mid-year Baurna Sal was back on the track, Weis despairing of the fawn bitch ever coming on season.
And when she lined up from box seven in Sunday’s grade six event at start number 16 since resuming it did appear as though she certainly wasn’t over the odds at $23.
This was going to be her day, though, going straight to the front and opening up a nice break down the back before toughing it out in the home straight when holding out Cee Me Turbo to win by a neck in 30.13 seconds, considerably quickly than her previous best of 30.51 seconds.
For Weis, this was a satisfying win and one that confirmed his belief in the 3½-year-old Baurna Sal as a future brood bitch.
“It’s taken a while but I always thought she could win over 512 metres and I was really pleased with the manner in which she toughed it out today,” he said.