Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club

Tara Raceway, Lake Terrace East, Mount Gambier, SA

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Coming out of the rough

Rough Boy Jay looked anything but a $16 rank outsider when storming home to defeat the front-running Blake’s Crossing by 3½ lengths in the Todd’s Photographics Stake (512 metres) at Tara Raceway on Monday afternoon.

Trained in Mount Gambier by Noel Perry, who races the black dog in partnership with his wife Heather, Rough Boy Jay overcame a moderate start from box five before settling in second spot down the back straight.

And by the time the home turn loomed he had the race well and truly in his keeping, eventually posting a time of 30.42 seconds on a day that was anything but conducive to quick times.

Heather and Noel Perry with Rough Boy Jay after his win at Tara Raceway on Monday afternoon.

Actually, Rough Boy Jay’s grade 6 winning time compared favourably to that of Dick Grayson who defeated Departure Gate and Maximum Refusal in a more than handy mixed field in 30.37 seconds.

The win was the November 2019 whelping’s second from 15 starts, Perry saying he was happy that the dog was now jumping marginally better.

“In his early races he was making a real mess of the start so it’s pleasing to see that he’s now getting away somewhat better.

“What I really like about him is that he’s finishing his races off well. In fact, he gives me the impression that he may well appreciate a bit more ground,” said Perry, who purchased the dog as a three-month-old pup and then reared him.

Bred by Robert Halliday at Portland, Rough Boy Jay is by Bekim Bale out of Baurna Sal, who won three races at Tara Raceway for fellow Portland trainer Brian Weis.

Baurna Sal boasts an interesting pedigree, being by Spring Gun out of Baurna Molly, a winner of 10 Victorian city races. Halliday also trained Baurna Sal’s litter brother Molly’s Wally who went around 103 times for 13 wins at Tara Raceway.

Baurna Molly, in turn, was by the US-bred Baurnahulla Hero who successfully raced in the US, Ireland and Australia. And her dam, the unraced Record Keeper, was a litter sister to Drone, winner of the 2009 Mount Gambier Cup for Weis.

Rough Boy Jay is from Baurna Sal’s second litter, her first being by Farmor Las Vegas and bred by Perry who has won seven races with Rough In Vegas.

And Rough Boy Jay’s success on Monday wrapped up Perry’s most successful year as an owner-trainer when bringing up his 28th win at Tara Raceway for the 2021 season.


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