Allendale East trainer David Peckham will be chasing his fourth John Reid Memorial Maiden win at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s Anniversary Cup meeting at Tara Raceway on Sunday.

Conducted this year over 305 metres, the memorial was first run in 2005 when won by the Robert Halliday trained Itza Bee. Peckham won the event in 2006 with Bourne Destiny and again in 2022 with Lochinvar Cahill.

And last year he was successful with Bourne Model who earlier this year won the Group 1 Sapphire Crown at Sandown Park in Victoria.

Peckham has the Ray Borda owned Aston Deutz engaged in Sunday’s final. The daughter of Good Odds Harada and Aston Chandon ran a 2¼ length second to Larni Lou in the first of two heats and is yet to be unplaced in her four starts.

My Pal Houston won the 2015 Reid Memorial for Tracie Price who this year will be represented in the final by Trial King , an all the way winner in the second heat when defeating the Gary Hunt trained Northern Saint by 2½ lengths.

Having his first race start, Trial King, a son of Shima Shine and Aqua Edie, is owned by the Hustle Syndicate and has drawn box three in Sunday’s $3000 final.

Larni Lou, a daughter of Koblenz x Mepunga Gem, and raced by her breeder Tim Keogh, led all the way for Winslow-based trainer Jon Malone whose partner Aimee Drew has Astom Gosset also engaged in the final.

Also a part of the Anniversary Cup meeting is the Eric Lewis Memorial, first run over 600 metres back in 2014 when won by the Robert Britton trained Zipping Basil. In fact, the day turned out pretty well for Britton who also won the Anniversary Cup with Amadeus Strikes.

This Sunday’s $5000 Eric Lewis Memorial is over 600 metres although there have been times when the event has been run over 732 metres. One such occasion was in 2023 when the Tim Aloisi trained Zipping Neutron ran a track record 42.73 seconds, a time which still stands.

However, there will be a 732 metre event run on Sunday – the $5000 Bill Ward Distance. This follows a distance race run last week when Moppa trainer Judi Hurley provided the five runners.

Once again, her five runners will contest the Bill Ward but looking to throw a spanner in the works is Warrnambool trainer Colin Kelly who has Miss Mary Jo engaged. She was a finalist in this year’s Mount Gambier Cup and last month won the Bay Road Queen (730 m) at Angle Park.

Meanwhile, Lewiston-based Robyn Mackellar, who trained the winner of the 2017 Mount Gambier Cup in Fabregal, was back at Tara Raceway last week but missed out on a run in the Anniversary Cup final with Wicket, a son of Tommy Shelby and Holy Reign.

But she did go home with a winner after litter brother Droidsmith led all the way in the Carlin & Gazzard Stake (512 m) and defeated That Smile by a half-length in 30.57 seconds.