For Millicent schoolteacher-come greyhound trainer Dave Green it was only just over two years ago that he landed his first winner at Tara Raceway with a greyhound by the name of Paw Some Storm.
Fast forward to 2025 and the three-dog trainer has enjoyed a tremendous run with Wind Whiskers, the daughter of Beast Unleashed and Takers To Vegas not only winning the Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year (GOTY) award but also breaking the 305 metre track record on two occasions.
Raced by the Michelle Erdeli-managed Show Girls Syndicate, Wind Whiskers won 23 Category 2 races at Tara Raceway Sunday meetings. Together with seven second placings and four thirds, she accumulated a total of 97 points.
Finishing second was Mister Cadillac, owned and trained at Edenhope by Captain Abbott. In 2024 the son of Magical Bale and Koa Lass dead-heated with kennel mate Top Cadillac for GOTY honours. Abbott was also successful in 2021 with Another Pick and back in 2019 with Black Spring.
The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s final meeting for 2025 had been on Sunday, December 28 at Tara Raceway. And it was Mister Cadillac who wrapped up the year with an all the way 4¼ length win over Wario in the Sealeys Springworks Mixed Stake (400 m) in a quick 22.77 seconds.
But earlier in the day there had also been a bit happening as far as Green had been concerned. He had Hyphenate engaged in the Michael Radley 60th Birthday Stake (400 m) and the daughter of Razor’s Edge and Grandana Quality did the job well.
Away well from box three, the brindle bitch quickly found the front and from then on was always travelling like a winner. On the line she had 3¼ lengths to spare over Compton Chinook in a time of 23.19 seconds.
Then, a couple of races later, Wind Whiskers took on a mixed field in the Gordon Refrigeration Stake (305 m). Quickly finding the front from box three, she eventually ran out a 5¾ length winner over Swan Attitude in a track record time of 17.24 seconds.
The time lowered her previous 305 metre record of 17.27 seconds which she had run on October 19. In fact, Wind Whiskers was the only track record breaker at Tara Raceway during 2025.
Meanwhile, Compton-based trainer Tracie Price wrapped up another big year at Tara Raceway when leading in five winners – Rock It Ronnie, Compton Ava, Compton Rocks, Trial King and Capybara.
In September, he had also trained five winners when Compton Gypsy, Wilder, Trial King, Raven Peter and Cruising Billy had been successful.
Price won the Mount Gambier 2025 Ian Badger Leading Trainer Award with 137 wins from David Peckham (90) and Kyle Goodwin (49).
He has now won the past four Mount Gambier Leading Trainer Awards with 181 winners in 2022, 194 in 2023 and 150 in 2024.
Mount Gambier’s final race meeting of the year also turned out to be one of the best patronised, helped no end by the attendance of the Radley families and friends – at the track’s end-of- year meeting for a third consecutive time.
As is always the case, Edenhope owner-trainer Kerry Hawker made the kids welcome and invited Harrison, Alexis and Augie to join her for a photograph with winning greyhound Mister Cadillac.
Of the 14 Radley siblings, 10 lined up at “Radley Raceway” on December 28 for a photograph. And summing up the meeting was an appreciative Tess: “Thank you so much for a wonderful day.”
