It was back on August 25 that three-year-old Problem Angel’s winning run commenced at Tara Raceway for Temora owner Lorraine Thacker and Berringa trainer Michael Niele.
Lining up for her eighth start at the track, the black bitch had still been chasing her first win at Tara Raceway. In fact, her last win anywhere had been in November the previous year over 311 metres at the now-closed Cranbourne track.
And at last Thursday’s meeting Problem Angel brought up her fourth consecutive win over 400 metres when stepping up in grade to the Commercial Hotel 5+ Wins Stake and holding out Coco To Burn for a head win in 23.74 seconds.
Bred by Niele, Problem Angel is by Magic Sprite out of Midnight Osti and traces back to the original Osti line which for 60 years has been influencing and shaping the racing and breeding scene.
It was in 1962 that Ted Doss paid $8 for a red fawn and white bitch that was later named Silky Echo and became the foundation of his famous Osti damline.
Silky Echo, when mated with Smart Conjuror, threw 700 yard Harold Park bitch Little Gorgeous who in turn produced Osti Too, regarded as one of the most influential brood bitches of the past 40 years.
Problem Angel was the second leg of a double for Niele after Late Mail brought up his second win when storming home to defeat Cadillac Bullet by 6¼ lengths in the Swallow Drive Meats Stake (400 m).
By Bekim Bale out of Baurna Sal, Late Mail was originally owned and trained at Portland by Robert Halliday whose association with Niele goes back to the 1970s.
“Yes, we go back a fair way,” Niele said. “Robert and his wife Shirley had been very good to our daughter Michelle so when he was looking for someone to take Late Mail in order to make way for some pups coming on I was happy to help out.”
Niele, who has been associated with greyhound racing in Mount Gambier since the Glenburnie days, won the 2003 Mount Gambier Cup with Monstropolis who narrowly defeated Halliday’s Welcome Rule.
A regular this year at Tara Raceway, Niele has now trained 23 winners and is in sixth spot on the Ian Badger Leading Trainer award.