For Glencoe trainer Dean Fennell last Thursday’s Tara Raceway treble gave him his most successful day at the track in more than three years.

In fact, during 2019 he trained two trebles at the Mount Gambier track – Master Moment, Maunganui Havoc and Banjo Lass on May 12 and Perseverance, General Max and Cee Mee Ignite on October 20.

With 55 local winners that’s still the best-ever year for Fennell who trained his first winner not long after the Lake Terrace East complex opened for business back in 1997.

That was on July 5 when Claude’s Mistake defeated Gwen Rolph’s Jaynick over 512 metres in 31.23 seconds (best 31.05). By Golden Mike out of Leeor Girlie, the brindle dog had been bred at Serviceton by Claude Merrett.

Fennell’s big day kicked off last week in the Commercial Hotel 1-4W Stake (400 m) with Glasgow Lass. Always on the pace, the daughter of Aston Dee Bee and Juniper Twedo finished strongly in the run home to defeat Cawbourne Baxter by a head in 23.83 seconds.

Raced by the Angela Shields-managed Rancel Syndicate, Glasgow Lass – now a winner of four races –is the dog that broke through for her maiden win for her current trainer after 17 minor placings from 27 starts.

And Pirate Gold won his second consecutive 512 metre Thursday race for Fennell and the Garry Rohan-managed Just Cause Syndicate.

Overcoming a slow start, the fawn son of Zulu Zeus and Spring Rain finished strongly in the Klaassens Contractors 1-4W Stake when defeating Flatty Hunter by three-quarters of a length in 30.36 seconds.

Bringing up Fennell’s treble – and his 30th winner for the year – was Zoe’s Way, owned in Adelaide by Daniella Madalinski and kennelled at Glencoe since October.

Zoe’s Way’s strong finishing neck win over Four Longnecks in the Progreyhoundtips.com 1-4W Stake (512 m) in 30.01 seconds was her first since early April when she defeated Rotate over 512 metres.

But, as Fennell pointed out, Zoe’s Way had found last Thursday’s time-graded event more to her liking than recent runs in Category 2 company at Sunday meetings.

“For sure, it’s probably fair to say that the going had been pretty tough on a Sunday when she ran into greyhounds such as Aston Ziebell, Classic Moment and Giant’s Flash,” he said.

Meanwhile, last Thursday was something of a mixed bag for Kongorong trainer John Little after Bungaloo Rachele, due to illness, had been a late scratching from the Greg Martlew Autos 1-4W Stake (400 m).

He did, however, have Bungaloo Danni, lining up for start number 102, engaged in the Todd’s Photographics 5+W Stake (400 m). He wasn’t getting too excited over her prospects, though. After all, she hadn’t won a race since April.

“I’ve pretty well decided that this will be her last run today and I’ll then sort out the paperwork in regard to placing her into the Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) program,” he had said.

Mind you, how many greyhounds have staved off imminent retirement into GAP when not expected to win their “last race”. Plenty, it would seem.

Well, as it turned out, Bungaloo Danni, a June 2019 whelping by Pure Titanium out of Bungaloo Sunset, led all the way and defeated the odds-on Zambora Jay by 2¾ lengths in a tidy 23.18 seconds.

“To be honest, I didn’t really expect her to find the front. But when she did I thought she’d be hard to run down. Despite the win, I reckon I’ll push on with the GAP paperwork,” Little said.

And the Dita Mitchell trained Aston Dijon, one of local owner Shane Flink’s purchases several months ago, returned a dividend when leading all the way for a 1¾ length win in 23.36 seconds over Rough In Vegas in the Gambier Vets 5+W Stake (400 m).