For the past three years littermates Minnie Banjo and Giant’s Flash have been among the track record holders at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s Tara Raceway.
By Banjo Boy out of Navada Flame, Minnie Banjo was raced by Garry Harding and Garry Comans and really came alive after joining Compton trainer Tracie Price’s kennels at the end of 2021 and racing behind the finish-on-lure at the local track.
“Minnie Banjo had previously won three races at Horsham and Ballarat in between three suspensions for failing to chase,” Price said.
“Garry Harding had offered her to me, saying she had a few problems but could run a bit. He suggested I took her for six weeks and see how things turned out. The rest is now history.”
In fact, her first seven races for Price resulted in consecutive wins at Angle Park and Tara Raceway. Included in the unbeaten run was a track record 22.42 seconds over 400 metres at Mount Gambier on February 6, 2022.
Her track record still stands although Cath Roberts’ Lektra Tony equalled the time on December 15, 2024. All told, Minnie Banjo went on to win a total of 16 races for Price. Then on March 15, 2023 she whelped a litter of two dogs and eight bitches to Beast Unleashed.
At one stage Giant’s Flash, a winner of 26 races, held both the 512 metre and 600 metre records at Tara Raceway in times of 29.19 seconds and 34.58 seconds. The middle-distance record, run on December 4, 2022, still stands to this day.
Price ended up with three of Minnie Banjo’s litter – Compton Copy (nine wins), Minnie’s My Mum (12) and Compton Gold who has won 21 races and more than $76,000 in prize money.
“Compton Gold broke in the quickest of the litter and I was pretty confident that we had something to work with,” he said. “And after winning 10 races at Mount Gambier and Murray Bridge – I figured she warranted a try in Victoria.”
Now with Pearcedale-based trainer Kayla Cottrell, Compton Gold has won a further 11 races ranging in distance from 460 metres to 600 metres at Warragul, The Meadows and Sandown Park.
“I have to now rate her as the best greyhound I’ve been associated with. As such, we are now looking at the Hume Cup which will be run early next month at The Meadows over 600 metres and carry $75,000 to the winner,” Price said.
He grew up with greyhounds at Branxholme in Victoria prior to relocating to Mount Gambier in 2007. Five years later Price, wife Karen and family settled on a 2½ acre property at Compton. And during that time Trackside Pet Meats also evolved.
With bush tracks adjacent to the property, his training regime entails plenty of walking in the scrub with his greyhounds who enjoy the surroundings and what they have to offer.
And with his fourth consecutive Mount Gambier Leading Trainer award coming up this year, along with another 100 plus winners for the year, Price and his team obviously aren’t doing too much wrong.