Monday, November 26, 2018
At 4½ years of age, Horsham greyhound Paraphernalia looked to be anything but in the twilight of his 135-start career when carving out a best of day 6½-length win over Springvale Alysa in Sunday’s Metal Worx Mixed Stake (512 metres) at Tara Raceway.
Leading all the way from box one, the Jeff Guy trained Paraphernalia also clocked a personal best time of 29.66 seconds, his previous best being 29.71 seconds, run in a heat of this year’s Mount Gambier Cup.
The fawn dog has now won 12 races from 21 starts this year at Tara Raceway, Sunday’s win keeping him in the hunt for Greyhound of the Year honours.
As the season enters its final month, and with only four regular meetings remaining, the GOTY now looks to be developing into a two-dog race with Paraphernalia and the Nicole Stanley trained Oh No Beta – who failed to run a place in Sunday’s last race – sharing the lead on 56 points.
A finalist in the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s two previous cup events this year – the Mount Gambier Cup and the Anniversary Cup – Paraphernalia is likely to line up in a heat of the Williams Crane Hire Christmas Cup (512 m) on Sunday, December 16.
Earlier on Sunday in the Gambier Vets Mixed Stake (600 m), 101-start veteran Goldie’s Run outstayed Spinning Jakit, who was having his first run over the middle-distance, when railing through on the home turn and finishing slightly the stronger to win by a half length in 35.60 seconds.
A son of Cosmic Rumble and Moonshine Sally, Goldie’s Run has been trained at Glencoe for his past 28 starts by Dean Fennell who last won with the black dog back in August.
And come the last race, the Williams Crane Hire Open Stake (400 m), the litter went close to a double when the David Peckham trained Blitz And Bolt came from a fair way back to dead-heat for second with Tracie Price’s Baz’s Moment, the pair beaten only a head by another of Price’s runners in Same Scenario.