It’s not too often that a full field lines up in a distance event at Tara Raceway.

But at last Sunday’s meeting eight greyhounds contested the Metal Worx Free For All – a race in which only a half-length separated the first three placegetters, Sher Zany, Waringah Bale and Osprey Diva, at the end of the 732 metre journey.

And Sher Zany, purchased for $3000 in June by Dave Green and Jason Newman, opened his winning account over the distance when turning the tables on Waringah Bale from the week prior with a half-length win in 43.93 seconds.

By Konomi out of Sherbini, Sher Zany has now won four races – two over 600 metres at Tara Raceway and one at Angle Park over 595 metres prior to last Sunday’s win – for Millicent trainer Green.

For Green, the win was a good way to celebrate Father’s Day given that wife Keston and daughters Kaia and Hadlie were also on track to cheer on Sher Zany.

Also on track and celebrating Father’s Day were Murray Bridge East trainer Damien Smith, accompanied by his wife Lauren and children Stefan and twins Allegra and Bentley.

The Smith-trained Apilla had run second the previous week to Bourne Model in the Cadillac Racing Winter Classic (512 m) and was looking to make amends in the Brenton Scott Hall Of Fame Stake (512 m).

The daughter of My Redeemer and Rosie Red looked to have the job ahead of her down the back straight when well back in the field before finishing strongly in the home straight for a 1¼ length win over early leader Stevie’s Girl in 30.11 seconds.

It was the start of a good couple of days for Smith who followed up last Sunday night with litter sister Bookaloo who led all the way at Murray Bridge over 455 metres in a best of night 25.50 seconds.

And then at Angle Park on Monday night it was Weblec Marquise who made it three wins in two days at three tracks for Smith when successful for a fourth time in SA after relocating from Queensland.

Peter Franklin made the trip over from Mortlake with Ringer’s Girl, a nicely-bred daughter of Aston Rupee and Two Phones who won 15 races on Victorian tracks and more than $59,000 in prize money.

Raced by Vanessa Lenehan, wife of Laharum horse trainer Steve, Ringer’s Girl was having her first run at Tara Raceway on the back of three unplaced runs over 390 metres at Warrnambool.

“The Lenehans had initially been on to me to train her but at the time I didn’t have a kennel for her. In the end, though, they took a dog that I had waiting to be placed in GAP and Ringer’s Girl came to me for pre-training,” Franklin said.

“She came in season a week after arriving so that held things up a bit but she did everything right in the pre-training phase. She was certainly genuine although perhaps not quite as quick as I would have liked. But are they ever?”

Ringer’s Girl quickly found the front from box four in the Carlin & Gazzard Maiden Stake (400 m) and eventually ran out a 1½ length winner over Billy Bronco in 23.65 seconds. And in doing so she presented Vanessa Lenehan with her first winner.

A couple of races last Sunday could have made for even more interesting stories had the results gone a little differently. And that’s certainly not looking to take anything away from the winners.

The Federal Hotel Mixed Stake (400 m) was won by the David Peckham trained Bourne Nancy while the interesting runner was sixth-placed Penny Pinto, trained at Penshurst by Brendan Casey.

Penny Pinto, back after a seasonal spell, was purchased as a pup by Penshurst legend John Burow who passed away two years ago last Sunday.

The daughter of Fernando Bale and Weeona Dotty has won six races from 21 starts. And the Penshurst contingent on track would have been hoping for another win to mark the second anniversary of Burow’s death.

One-dog trainer Kevin Finn, accompanied by daughter Marita, was back at Tara Raceway last Sunday with Anna Rhode, a winner of six races from only 15 starts.

Anna Rhode, a daughter of Fernando Bale and Delta Rhode, had been off the track since last October when running second at Warrnambool over 450 metres.

In the meantime she had whelped a litter of two dogs by Bernardo back in April prior to joining Finn’s Warrnambool kennel.

The white and fawn bitch ran fourth behind another Peckham-trained dog in Bourne Nicko in the Williams Crane Hire Stake (400 m).