Saturday, June 13, 2020
With Mount Gambier greyhounds currently restricted to SA participation only, Greyhound Racing SA is hoping to boost numbers at Tara Raceway’s Thursday meetings with the implementation of a travelling trainers’ fee.
GRSA Racing Manager, Shaun Mathieson, said the fee would be paid to trainers living more than 150 kilometres from Mount Gambier and who make the trip to race at Tara Raceway.
“Those trainers will receive a $75 payment on top of the normal $50 trainer’s fee,” he said. “However, the $75 fee will be limited to one payment per registered premise and will continue only until the border is re-opened on July 20.”
Mathieson said GRSA appreciated the importance of Mount Gambier being able to race on a weekly basis during these unprecedented times and as such the travelling trainers’ fee will be in place for this Thursday’s meeting (June 18).
Adelaide trainers Clint, Shelley and Harrison Trengove, Kevin Bewley and Charlie Adcock have supported Tara Raceway in recent weeks. Their participation made for more races and supplied some different greyhounds to complement the local contingent.
Meanwhile, Tara Raceway’s leading trainers – David Peckham, Tracie Price and Dean Fennell – scooped the pool at last Thursday’s eight-race meeting, the former leading in five winners for the second time this year.
Peckham was successful with Angelo’s Entity, Rooster, Double Vision, Rock It Fernando and Crown Simba who was recently purchased by Millicent trio Trevor Rogers, Rex Lang and Kade Stewart.
While Rogers, a former Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club committee member, is no stranger to the sport, Lang and Stewart are first-time owners.
Speaking after the win, Peckham said they had been looking for a greyhound to race for about a month.
“After Crown Simba had won first up at Tara Raceway the previous week I suggested to them that they contact Victorian owner Donna Knight to see whether she would be interested in selling the well-bred son of Barcia Bale x Indi Allen.
“The sale ultimately took place and it’s good to see Trevor back involved in greyhound racing again. Also, that he has brought with him a couple of newcomers in Rex and Kade,” he said.
Price landed a double, Proud Fernando, another of his Fernando Bale x Who’s Doing What pups opening his winning account after chasing Glenville Rose for much of the journey before getting up for a neck win in 23.21 seconds in the Winmore Greyhound Kennels Maiden Stake (400 m).
And Raw Luxury, after five consecutive minor placings, finally broke through again for the Compton trainer when leading all the way in the Metal Worx Open Stake (400 m) to defeat Our Man Zed by a length in 23.00 seconds.
Owned in WA by breeder Steve Shinners, Raw Luxury is a member of the more than handy Fernando Bale x Sober litter and has now won 12 races ranging in distance from 400 metres to 600 metres (at Cannington).
Saint Maddie, another one to find her way over to Mount Gambier to race when the border closed, continues to race well for Koroit breeder-owner Peter Byrne and the Glencoe-based Fennell who has had the black bitch in his kennels for all of her nine starts.
The daughter of Peter Rocket x Miss Lava chased Like A Slug until the home turn in the Trackside Meats Stake (512 m), taking the lead in the straight before holding out a fast-finishing West On Tia to score by a neck in 30.14 seconds and take her record to four wins and five minor placings.