The Tracie Price trained Dirty Dash’s first-up Mount Gambier win at Tara Raceway last Thursday turned out to be an early birthday present for Penola-based Liam Sharam who celebrated his 14th birthday the following day.
A brindle and white son of Fernando Bale and Angel Dash, Dirty Dash had won four races in Victoria at Warrnambool and Geelong and two in SA at Gawler and Murray Bridge prior to recently relocating to Price’s Compton kennels.
Garry Harding, Price and Sharam are now racing the dog which lined up from box eight in the Klaassens Contractors TG5+W Stake (512 metres). And it was an impressive local debut when he found the front down the back before running out a 5¼ length winner in 30.25 seconds.
Sharam had previously raced Donny Rocks with his parents, Stuart and Pat, the son of Fernando Bale and Rhonda Rocks winning a further seven races after Liam’s father had taken over the training of the 37 kilogram dog.
And it was young Sharam’s share of that prize money that had allowed him to buy into Dirty Dash’s ownership. The involvement has also given him an added interest while he awaits the racing debut of the family’s recently broken-in youngster by Feral Franky out of Perseverance.
Meanwhile, later on Thursday, the locally-based Wario turned in a top performance when leading all the way to win by 5¼ lengths over 395 metres at Murray Bridge in a smart time of 22.32 seconds.
Owned and trained at Allendale East by Kev Patzel, the black son of Pindari Express and Fiery Crash has now won seven races since being picked up for $1000 in early May.
From a local perspective, there was no joy at Angle Park the following night as far as the SA Country Cup (530 m) was concerned. This was one of the races complementing the Group 1 Adelaide Cup which was won by Excavation.
Two greyhounds each from the Gawler, Murray Bridge and Mount Gambier clubs contested the Country Cup. But local representatives Royal Nangar and Wild Banker failed to place in the race that was won by Pet Detective from Gawler.
Apilla showed just how far she’s progressed in a short time when winning Friday night’s TAB Premier’s Cup (730 m) for owners Cameron and Yvonne Butcher and Murray Bridge East trainer Damien Smith.
The daughter of My Redeemer and Rosie Red finished second to Bourne Model in Mount Gambier’s Winter Classic (512 m) in August before returning the following week and winning a grade six event over 512 metres.
In September she then won a heat of the Group 3 SA Oaks (530 m) at Angle Park before running second to Bun Storm in the final. Apilla didn’t race again until the Premier’s Cup although in the meantime Smith had trialled her over the 730 metre journey.
And the black and white bitch put in a terrific effort when storming home for a half-length win over Black Silencer in 42.85 seconds. Then, later in the night, the Smith-trained litter sister Mallee Beauty, led all the way for an 8¼ length win over 530 metres in 30.45 seconds.