With local greyhounds Giant’s Flash and Departure Gate returning to Tara Raceway after wins at Angle Park, the clash of the dual track record holder and the Mount Gambier Cup winner in Sunday’s first round of the Michelle Niele Memorial (512 m) was always going to be the highlight of the day.

Adding further interest was the inclusion of Crush Your Enemy, Butter Up Again and Two Hands George for Meningie trainer Tim Richards, who is certainly no stranger to feature race success at Mount Gambier.

Departure Gate, trained at Moorak by Jason Newman, showed the way early from box one while Crush Your Enemy, always more comfortable when racing wide, moved out from box two on the first turn, forcing Giant’s Flash a little wide.

Down the back straight, though, and Compton trainer Tracie Price’s Giant’s Flash had found the rails – and the front – before running away to a 2¼ length win over Departure Gate. Crush Your Enemy was a further 2½ lengths back in third spot in a best of day time of 29.59 seconds.

The same field, but with a different box draw, will now contest the $3250 final over 600 metres at this Sunday’s meeting.

The win of Giant’s Flash was the highlight of another big day for Price who finished with six winners – Harboring, Right Way, Spring Drama, Minnie Banjo and Simply Chaos also adding to the leading trainer’s local total which now stands at 75.

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