Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Another Tara Raceway double last Sunday, this time with bargain-buy pair Banjo Fozz and Danyo’s Cally, continued Serviceton trainer David Brodhurst’s best-ever year at the Mount Gambier track.
Since January he’s trained 22 local winners – which include four doubles – Brodhurst heaping plenty of praise on his wife Valerie who races Danyo’s Cally and also spends much of her time assisting with the couple’s small team.
Banjo Fozz, picked up for $600 back at the end of June when still a maiden, went into last Sunday’s Williams Crane Hire Mixed Stake having since won four races at the track but still chasing her first win over 600 metres despite having clocked a quick personal time of 35.17 seconds.
By Banjo Boy x Fire Stricker and from a handy litter that also includes Blur, Tat James and Valita, the Brodhurst trained black bitch quickly found the front from box four and in the run home hung on for dear life to defeat Spinning Jakit by a head in 35.47 seconds.
Brodhurst had been following the progress of Danyo’s Cally so when she was advertised for sale for $800 at the end of last year he purchased the daughter of My Bro Fabio x Caviar Noir. He has now won seven races – including one at Murray Bridge – with the black bitch.
Danyo’s Cally was a $20 chance from box four in last Sunday’s The Border Watch Stake (512 m). Not bad odds considering that a month ago she had beaten Azalea Monelli at Tara Raceway in a near best of day 29.78 seconds.
Away well in the pretty handy Open field, Danyo’s Cally led all the way, defeating Hutch by 1½ lengths in a best of day time of 29.95 seconds – both dogs staging good trials for this Sunday’s Border Challenge heats.
Involved in greyhound racing for much of his life, Brodhurst and his wife have been at Serviceton – 200 kilometres from Mount Gambier – for 14 years. Previously they had been six kilometres down the road at Wolseley and before that at Jeparit.
“I reckon we raced dogs at the current Tara Raceway’s second or third meeting back in 1997 and have been racing there ever since,” said the laid-back Brodhurst who, after battling major health issues, reports that he is slowly on the improve.
And Mount Gambier couldn’t have done much better with its two 512 metre Border Challenge heats, the first two from each heat to represent the local club in the $4000-to-the-winner final over 450 metres at Warrnambool on Thursday, December 5.
Worrolong trainer Steve Bartholomew looks to hold a strong hand with the Robert Chuck-owned Paddy Whacker x Galactic Rumball littermates Galactic Destiny, Galactic Mojo and Galactic Titan, the latter unbeaten in six starts at Tara Raceway.
The David Peckham trained Usain Insane has now gone from the couch to the Challenge, earning a reprieve from the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) when turning in a sparkling 22.97 seconds win in last Sunday’s Gordon Refrigeration Open Stake (400 m).
Another Peckham-trained dog in Pirate’s Curse, the Tara Raceway 600 metre record holder at 34.79 seconds, returns to racing in the second heat after a six months lay-off due to a back leg muscle issue.
The Robert Halliday trained Hutch, a 4½-year-old winner of 27 races and a Mount Gambier SA Country Cup representative at Angle Park last year, will also line up in the second heat after making an incredible sixth comeback last week.
The Warrnambool Greyhound Racing Club will conduct its heats on Thursday, November 28 with the Border Challenge set to alternate on a yearly basis between the two clubs.
Meanwhile, Edenhope trainer Cap Abbott will make the four-hour trip to Bendigo on Friday with litter brothers Black Spring and Spinning Jakit who will contest a $5000-to-the-winner GRV Vic Bred Series over 660 metres.