Kyneton trainer Scott Millard, last successful at Tara Raceway back in July last year with Marionvale Gal, was back among the winners at Tara Raceway last Thursday with Cransberg Dash in the Icon Signs Maiden Stake (305 metres).

Lining up in box one at start number 11 with a third placing to his name at Healesville in December last year, the 26-month-old black dog opened his winning account by six lengths over Tattooist in 18.03 seconds.

Bred by the Millard Racing Group, Cransberg Dash is by Ice Cool Kaedyn out of Galway Lights with the breeders also owning both the sire and dam.

By Ice Trucker out of Senorita Abbi, Ice Cool Kaedyn won 23 races and $68,000 in prize money while Galway Lights (Aston Bolero x Ilika) retired as a 53-start maiden.

Millard said he believed making the occasional five-hour trip over to Mount Gambier to race behind the finish-on-lure benefited his dogs by giving them something different to chase.

And he’s done pretty well at Tara Raceway with his best day being at the end of June last year when he trained four winners – Small Heath, Stand For Me, Skull and Marionvale Gal.