A training treble at last Thursday’s Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s time-graded meeting has given Glencoe-based Dean Fennell a good start to the 2026 season at Tara Raceway.

His last treble had been at the local track on Thursday, August 21 last year when he had been successful with Shanny Rose, Compton Tig and Saint Bree.

And at last week’s meeting Fennell’s big day kicked off with a win in the first – the Carlin & Gazzard Maiden Stake (305 metres) – after Saint Kylie, at only her second start, led all the way from box eight for a length win over Redemption Lass in 18.23 seconds.

Owned at Koroit by Peter Byrne, Saint Kylie is by My Redeemer out of Mepunga Stellar and is a litter sister to Linda Lou and Saint Ella, raced in the same interests and also both winners at Tara Raceway.

Fennell’s second winner on Thursday was Saint Bree, the third leg of last year’s August treble.

By Fernando Bale, and an older half-sister to the trainer’s first winner of the day, the red brindle bitch led all the way for a half-length win over Cheques To Burn in 17.79 seconds in the Trackside Pet Meats TG5+W Stake (305 m).

Bringing up his treble was Compton Franky who led all the way from box one in the Quickmix Concrete Group TG5+W Stake (400 m) for a 4½ length win over Jaja Ding Dong in 23.22 seconds.

Now a winner of 10 races, the son of Feral Franky and Perseverance is owned and trained by Fennell who between 2019 and 2021 had won 16 races with Compton Franky’s dam.

For Fennell, who first became involved in greyhound racing when it commenced at Tara Raceway on Lake Terrace East in 1997, this year currently sees him sitting in second spot behind Tracie Price on the Leading Trainers’ list with 11 wins, 16 seconds and 17 thirds.

Meanwhile, Portland training team Nicole Stanley and Nifty Lenehan are now giving serious consideration to taking on the forthcoming Trackside Pet Meats Group 3 Mount Gambier Cup with Mepunga Infrared.

This follows the son of Bella Infrared and Mepunga Molly’s impressive win over Rivia Umiko in last Thursday’s Ontrack Insider TG5+W Stake (512 m) when he won by six lengths in a personal best time of 29.68 seconds.

Stanley boasts several Mount Gambier Cup finalists, although she’s yet to win the club’s main race of the year. And Fabriola Zad, when handled by Lenehan, finished third in the 2021 Commercial Hotel Mount Gambier Cup.

However, Lenehan’s father, Brian, won the 1993 Mount Gambier Cup with Immortal Flash who defeated Ian Badger’s Aardvark out at Glenburnie.

And Killarney trainer Kevin Mugavin landed his third double at Tara Raceway this year when Val’s Legacy and Good Value were successful in the Sealeys Springworks TG1-4W Stake (400 m) and the Metal Worx TG1-4W Stake (305 m).

Val’s Legacy, a daughter of Equalizer and Cloona Lass, led all the way from box seven and ran out a 5¼ length winner over Extravagantly in a quick 22.95 seconds.

Half-brother Good Value (by Aeroplane Eric), gained a run as a reserve and also led all the way when defeating Rough Boy Rocky by 2¼ lengths in 17.81 seconds.

Then, earlier in the year, on January 22 and 29, brothers Good Value and Eric Quirk landed doubles at consecutive meetings.

Wrapping up the time-graded meeting was the Williams Crane Hire TG5+W Stake (400 m). And it was the Tim Richards owned and trained Ricki’s Burner who brought up his 18th win at his 100th start.

Away only fairly from box four, the son of Flying Ricciardo and Gold Burner railed through down the back straight before finishing the race off strongly with a 4¼ length win over Lochinvar Pearl in 23.17 seconds.

Gold Burner, a daughter of Worm Burner and Molly Be Nimble, won over 400 metres and 512 metres at Tara Raceway during 2020. The litter also included Coorong Lucy, a winner of 37 races and more than $153,000 in prize money.

For the Meningie-based Richards and his partner Tanya Bialek, the year has started off pretty well at Tara Raceway.

With 13 wins, 12 seconds and 10 third placings at the Mount Gambier track, he currently sits in third spot behind Tracie Price and Dean Fennell.

And Bialek has trained three winners, four seconds and a third at the local track.