Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club

Tara Raceway, Lake Terrace East, Mount Gambier, SA

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First win comes as a real surprise

Tarpeena greyhound trainer Malcolm Keenan was the first to admit that the recent win of My Madonna at a Sunday Category 2 meeting at Tara Raceway had come as a real surprise.

After all, she was the first greyhound he had ever trained and was having her first start for the 78-year-old former harness racing trainer.

Handler Shane Flink and Nuran and Malcolm Keenan with My Madonna, his first winner as a trainer.

Actually, he had owned My Madonna and her litter brother Master Shameem since they were pups. Nicole Stanley and Nifty Lenehan had been training the pair and while My Madonna had won a maiden, according to Keenan there was some doubt as to just how far she would progress.

“She won her maiden at Tara Raceway when beating Paw Some Sloane back in June last year. But she really struggled after that, to the extent that we all agreed she might be better with another trainer.

“And that was another struggle – finding a trainer. So in the end I decided to take out a trainer’s licence and train her myself.

“That in itself turned out to be a frustrating experience that ultimately resulted in a further three months before I was granted a licence to train my own greyhound.

“However, I do believe the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club has met with Greyhound Racing SA to discuss the streamlining of the process.”

Anyway, come Sunday, January 15 and Keenan, resplendent in his brand new Mount Gambier GRC white shirt, had My Madonna engaged in the Winning Post Supplies Stake over 400 metres.

Lining up for her first race start since October, the daughter of My Redeemer and Raz’s Girl looked anything but a $26 chance when leading all the way and defeating Here To Burn in a quick 23.15 seconds.

It was a terrific win and one that had Keenan quickly acknowledging the help he had received from former long-time local trainer Ralph Patzel in relation to the finer points of training a greyhound.

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