It was in 2019 that Langhorne Creek trainer Tony Hinrichsen won the Mount Gambier Winter Classic (512 metres) with Balboa Fury in a then race record time of 29.84 seconds.

But his bid for a second Winter Classic failed to materialise when he was unable to make the trip to Tara Raceway for the August 20 heats.

Hinrichsen returned for last Thursday’s time-graded meeting, though, with Jukebox Duke appearing to be one of his better chances in the second of two heats of the Fast Forward Mixed Series (512 m).

And the January 2022 son of Zipping Garth and Mercedes Monelli virtually led all the way from box five in the Rocks Tavern TG1-4W Stake when holding out Spot On Yvonne for a half-length win in 30.24 seconds.

So with the eight fastest from the two heats advancing to today’s Category 2 prize money final at Tara Raceway, Saint Milly, Iverson and Dusty Barbara also found their way through after the running of the second heat.

Jukebox Duke is owned at Mypolonga by Brad Frahn who purchased the black dog at four months of age from Lewiston breeder Rob Harnas before rearing and then later breaking him in.

The three placegetters in the first heat – Cawbourne Sunny, Saint Madix and Cawbourne Baxter – also made it through to the final in what was a slower-run race.

Owned and trained at Parwan by Lew Green, Cawbourne Sunny was always on the pace in the Exchange Printers TG1-4W Stake before taking the lead into the home straight and defeating Saint Madix by 1½ lengths in 30.72 seconds.

By Cosmic Rumble, Cawbourne Sunny is out of Cawbourne Liz who did the majority of her racing in New Zealand where she won 18 races.

Meanwhile, it’s been an interesting couple of race meetings for the charity-based Tara Tipsters competition.

First, the results from the Thursday meeting threw up something of a surprise when Robert Stafford was the top tipster of the day with 36 points (nine winners) on the 12-race card.

Mount Gambier-based Stafford and his wife Janet are the Tara Raceway regulars who are always seated at the corner table near the club notice board.

Now, it’s always been a given that when newcomers are invited into the tipping competition they are expected to remain inconspicuous at the bottom of the ladder.

In other words, don’t get in the way of the “big guns” of the competition – although, by all means, continue to donate to the charity jar.

In the case of Stafford it was suggested he could keep Robert Halliday company at the bottom of the ladder.

Halliday’s the tipster who one Sunday afternoon not all that long ago received a standing ovation after it had been announced in the clubrooms that he had finally lifted himself off the bottom of the Tara Tipsters board.

He’s also the tipster who turned the results sheet upside down in order to have his name at the top of the list. And he’s the tipster who took the “H” off his surname in an effort to alphabetically move up the ladder.

But come Sunday’s meeting and Halliday, as if inspired by Stafford’s efforts of a few days earlier, finished with 38 points and took top spot for the day.

The big guns didn’t fire too many shots last week.