Lewiston trainer Nicole Price, following two visits to Tara Raceway in the past month with the Trackside Pet Meats Mount Gambier Cup (512 metres) in mind, looks to hold a strong hand in the forthcoming Group 3 event.

It was back on Sunday, February 22 that the Price kennel won four races at the Mount Gambier track with Nola Keeping, Galba Stacey, Slick Angel and Todd Keeping.

But it was Nola Keeping, this year’s St Leger winner at Angle Park, who served notice on that day in relation to the Mount Gambier Cup with an easy win over 512 metres in 30.02 seconds on what had been a rain-soaked track.

The daughter of Feral Franky and Gina Keeping didn’t make the trip down to Mount Gambier last Sunday with Price opting to run her at Gawler on Sunday night over 531 metres after there had been insufficient numbers to run more than one 512 metre race at the local track.

However, it turned out to be an easy win for Nola Keeping who defeated Go Forward Sky by 3¾ lengths in a best of night 30.37 seconds when bringing up her fourth consecutive win.

Back at Tara Raceway last Sunday and the Nicole Price trained Utter Madness, raced by her 16-year-old son Liam, went into the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Open Stake (512 m) looking a real cup hopeful after having won three of his past four starts.

By Aussie Infrared out of Easy Choice, the black and white dog settled in third spot from box eight behind Wind Whiskers and Unworldly. But in the run home Utter Madness was just too good, running out a three-quarter length winner over Unworldly in a quick 29.43 seconds.

Mulgrave trainer Greg Doyle – racing at Tara Raceway for the first time – intimated that Unworldly would be back for the cup after his solid second placing.

The son of Bernardo and My Isobel is a winner of eight races from 21 starts and only recently returned from a stint of racing in Queensland where he had been trained by Tom Tzouvelis. Doyle said the black dog would likely return to Queensland after the Mount Gambier Cup.

From a cup point of view, Mepunga Infrared, a son of Bella Infrared and Mepunga Molly, ran a handy 2¾ length third for Portland trainer Nicole Stanley. A recent time-graded winner in 29.68 seconds, he certainly wasn’t overawed by the company.

Price had also hoped to be able to draw a 512 metre race with another cup hopeful in Binnaway Warrior but had to settle for the Federal Hotel Stake, a grade five event over 400 metres. If nothing else, though, it gave the fawn dog his first look at the track.

Bred by Price, the son of Orson Allen and Up Time Girl, a beautifully bred daughter of Fernando Bale and Hope’s Up, gave nothing else a chance when going straight to the front and running out a 4½ length winner over Rivia Umiko in a quick 22.60 seconds.

Toolong owner-trainer Phil Lenehan is also likely to be over for the cup with Lektra Beta, the son of Tommy Shelby and Lektra Perry a 515 metre winner at Sandown Park last week in a quick 29.41 seconds.

Lektra Beta was a feature race winner at Tara Raceway in November last year when defeating his kennelmates Lektra Solo and Lektra Unhinged in the final of the $10,000 Spring Classic over 512 metres.

As far as the Mount Gambier Cup is concerned, Lenehan will be looking to make amends after narrowly going down in the 2018 final with Lektra Stomp who ran a three-quarter second to the Brian Weis trained Xtreme Caution.

And Weis has never let him forget it!

Mount Gambier Cups do run in the family though with Lenehan’s father Brian successful in the 1993 event with Immortal Flash.

Meanwhile, a delighted Kerry Hawker of Edenhope was presented with the 2026 Connie Miller Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club Service Award at last Sunday’s Tara Raceway meeting.

This award, well received by those in attendance, acknowledged her valuable contribution to the club on race days on a volunteer basis.

Connie Miller, who passed away in 2023, was MGGRC secretary from 1983 to 2003 (with the exception of 1996) and received life membership in 1994. Her efforts had also been recognised by the Adelaide controlling body at the time.

She also trained back to back Mount Gambier Cup winners in Durafi (1987) and Mitchell Boy (1988).