Compton trainer Tracie Price, on the back of four winners at Tara Raceway last Thursday, looks set for further success on Sunday afternoon at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s Christmas Cup meeting.
And maybe he’ll even add to his already impressive Christmas Cup record – Who’s Doing What and Fear The Rascal successful in 2014 and 2015 – with nine-race winner Golly Gumdrops, a daughter of Worm Burner and staying bitch Psychotic Gold.
Having only her third start at Tara Raceway after joining Price’s kennels last month, the former Adelaide chaser qualified for the Williams Crane Hire Christmas Cup final (512 metres) when running third behind Rotate and Ask Me Now in last week’s second heat which was won in 30.11 seconds.
Golly Gumdrops, a 29.75 seconds 515 metres winner at Angle Park, ran home strongly in her heat, beaten only 1½ lengths. And from a final point of view, her chances received a significant boost after drawing box one – three wins from four starts when carrying the red rug.
She’s raced by the Petar Jovanovic-managed Rovers Return Syndicate who earlier on Sunday have the Price-trained Boombox Shelby engaged in box five in the Peter Whitehead Memorial Maiden final (400 m).
Boombox Shelby, a daughter of Fernando Bale and the unraced Cairnlea Shadow, displayed plenty of dash last week in her heat from box eight when making her race debut.
The brindle bitch went to the line strongly, with two lengths to spare over kennelmate Smokey River in 23.54 seconds – somewhat quicker than the time taken in the first heat won by Foot Peg.
Smokey River, a son of Dyna Double One and Pintail – a winner of six races at Tara Raceway – has raced on 11 occasions for six minor placings and looks to be one of the hardest for Boombox Shelby to beat.
Price trained the quinella in last year’s inaugural Whitehead Memorial with Elle Limes defeating Tandiki by two lengths in 23.18 seconds. Both greyhounds have followed up with a good year – Elle Limes winning eight races at Tara Raceway and Tandiki nine.
He also has two runners in Sunday’s Santa Sprint final (400 m). Falcon Heavy has drawn box one after a boilover heat win while veteran chaser Raw Luxury showed she’s still capable of matching it with her younger rivals when running second to Galactic Zeus in the second heat.
But Galactic Zeus certainly looks to be the one delivering the Christmas cheer, the son of Paddy Whacker x Galactic Rumball chasing a hat-trick of wins for locals Robert Chuck and Steve Bartholomew.
Greyhounds trained at Lewiston by Clint Trengove have performed well this year at Tara Raceway over 600 metres and 732 metres. In fact, only last month he seemingly had a 732 metres race totally stitched up when the entire field was trained by the Trengove family.
This was one race that got away, though, after the meeting was called off due to the whole of South Australia subsequently being in lock-down!
The Trengove-trained Joe’s Gold has drawn box one in the Christmas Challenge (600 m). And while having never raced at the track, his recent Adelaide form should put him right in the race.
By little-known sire Didda Joe, Joe’s Gold is out of Suntory Gold, a winner of three races at Tara Raceway in 2014, the same year that her litter brother Tonk won the Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park.
Joe’s Gold turned in a tidy performance at Gawler last Sunday night when winning over 531 metres in 30.97 seconds. In the two months’ prior had won three 600 metres races at Angle Park.
Killarney owner-trainer Kevin Mugavin returns to Tara Raceway for the first time since March with Spring Value who for the first three months of the year dominated 512 metres racing at Tara Raceway.
Drawn in box three in the Christmas Challenge, Sunday will be the first time the son of Spring Gun x Magic Matese has stepped out over any distance further than 545 metres.
