With a win each at last Thursday’s time-graded meeting, the Terang training team of Mark Roberts, wife Catherine and son Christian collectively brought up 50 winners for the year at Mount Gambier’s Tara Raceway.
The Catherine trained Nyssa’s Girl, a daughter of Out Of Range x Mepunga Nyssa, kicked off the family’s big day when finishing too strongly for a length win over Myola Knight and Myola Dawn in 23.76 seconds in the Carlin & Gazzard MG Stake (400 metres).
Then, it was Christian’s turn with Lubbock Lad in the Exchange Printers Stake (400 m). Third early, the son of Aston Dee Bee x Louisiana Lil gave a great display of railing on the rain-affected track when defeating Bourne Brett by 2½ lengths in 23.33 seconds.
And wrapping up the family’s big day was Hatchet Harry who was having his first start for Mark Roberts.
He took over the training of the son of Zambora Brockie and Midnight Maid after the black dog had raced twice at Tara Raceway for a well-beaten sixth which had been followed up several days later with a fourth placing and a 28 days suspension for marring.
But Hatchet Harry did the job pretty well in the Williams Crane Hire Stake (400 m) when coming from well back to run down the Catherine Roberts trained Hand In Glove for a 3¼ length win in 23.36 seconds.
The win came in a heat of the monthly Fast Forward series – in this case six heats being run with the fastest eight greyhounds, irrespective of finishing position, advancing to today’s final which will carry Sunday prizemoney.
Hatchet Harry made it through to the final as did Hand In Glove who clocked 23.59 seconds. The Roberts family will be chasing another Fast Forward success after Lubbock Lad had won the April series in a quick 22.99 seconds.
Other quick qualifiers included the Tracie Price trained Mister Banjo who took time honours with a run of 23.30 seconds in the Metal Worx Stake after winning a maiden first-up the previous week.
And Scott Blacksell’s Mocambora Izza impressed with a win in 23.37 seconds in the Todd’s Photographics Stake when defeating her litter sister Mocambora Bella who failed to make the cut.