Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club

Tara Raceway, Lake Terrace East, Mount Gambier, SA

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Hammer slingshots to cup favouritism

Monday, March 25, 2019

Lara greyhound Slingshot Hammer took time honours for owner Deborah Coleman and trainer Rob Camilleri when leading all the way from box one in the fourth heat of the Group Listed Fairthorne Forestry Mount Gambier Cup (512 metres) at Tara Raceway on Sunday afternoon.

Having his first look at the track, the son of Fernando Bale x Little Hammer clocked 29.45 seconds, the fastest run at the track this year, when defeating Cap Abbott’s Big Casey by 4½ lengths.

Owner Deborah Coleman gives Slingshot Hammer a well-deserved drink after his 29.45 seconds Fairthorne Forestry Mount Gambier Cup heat win at Tara Raceway on Sunday.

Later, the widely-travelled Slingshot Hammer, who last raced 10 days ago at Maitland in NSW, rocketed to favouritism for Sunday’s Group Listed $15,000-to-the-winner final after once again drawing box one.

The cup heats kicked off in sensational fashion when boom local youngster Galactic Athena, at only her fifth race start, set herself a task early when only fairly away from box six before ranging up three wide on the first turn.

The Robert Chuck owned, Steve Bartholomew trained brindle daughter of Paddy Whacker x Galactic Rumball, who turned 19 months on Sunday, took over the running going into the back straight before finishing powerfully for a 5½ length win over Nirimba Pirate in a personal best time of 29.58 seconds.

Portland trainer Nicole Stanley’s Wanchai Express, until Sunday the fastest dog to go around Tara Raceway this year in a time of 29.46 seconds, was always going to be hard to beat in heat two of the cup when settling in second spot behind the speedy Dimora Flash.

The sizeable 36 kilogram son of Bit Chili and Aunty Chopper then had no trouble barging his way through on the rails off the back, running away to a 1¾ length win over a fast-finishing Waterloo Monelli, trained by Tony Rasmussen of Gifford Hill.

Cranbourne South trainer Andrew Paraskevas remains in line for a $5000 Greyhound Racing SA bonus after Pure White Evil won his way through to the final with an emphatic six length win in heat three over Azumi Ryder in 29.66 seconds.

From a tremendous litter by Barcia Bale x Father Of Mine, Pure White Evil, back at Tara Raceway after an impressive 29.65 seconds win a month ago, took the lead going into the back straight,  Paraskevas now looking to also land the Mount Gambier Cup after litter brother Eye Got It was successful in the recent Murray Bridge Cup. A win by Pure White Evil in Sunday’s final would see his trainer collect the bonus for winning both cups.

Parwan trainer Paul Abela will have two runners in the final after Cavatron and Aston It Is were successful in the final two heats – the former midfield early before railing through off the back to take the lead from Matriculate and then holding off a fast finishing Shima Mart.

Recent Horsham Cup finalist Aston It Is, who was sold for a record $920 at Saturday night’s Cup Calcutta, chased Wilbur Deeds into the home straight before finishing the stronger to win by 1¾ lengths in 29.78 seconds over the early leader and Hutch who ran a terrific race to clock the same time as Wilbur Deeds.

Greyhound Racing SA Racing Manager Shaun Mathieson pencils Slingshot Hammer into box one for Sunday’s Fairthorne Forestry Mount Gambier Cup final. Also pictured are GRSA stewards Lindy Thomson and Barry Shepheard.

Fairthorne Forestry Mount Gambier Cup draw – 1 Slingshot Hammer, 2 Galactic Athena, 3 Pure White Evil, 4 Cavatron, 5 Waterloo Monelli, 6 Big Casey, 7 Wanchai Express, 8 Aston It Is. Res. Wilbur Deeds, Nirimba Pirate.

Meanwhile, the two heats of Sunday’s Produce Store Feature Maiden (512 m) look to have unearthed a couple of handy types in the form of Galactic Titan and Spring Value.

In the first heat, Galactic Titan, a litter brother to Galactic Athena and owned and trained by Robert Chuck of Moorak, looked lost at his first race start on the back of some quick trials but in the end was good enough to hold out Nifty Lenehan’s Nitro Missile by 1¾ lengths in 30.42 seconds.

Killarney trainer Kevin Mugavin’s Spring Value, at only his third start, led all the way from box six in a four-dog field, eventually winning by six lengths in 30.06 seconds.

And in the first heat of the Formula 400 Open  (400 m), Glencoe trainer Dean Fennell’s short-course specialist Ramfied brought up his 16th win when leading all the way to defeat Diesel’s A Rebel by a half head in 23.16 seconds.

Having his first run at Tara Raceway, Diesel’s A Rebel, trained at Melton by Simon Payne, despite using plenty of the track finished powerfully and should be better for the run this Sunday.

Payne went one better in the second heat, though, litter brother Schultz’s A Rebel, a $23 outsider, running down Maunganui Magic and Swift Limes to win by three-quarters of a length in 23.53 seconds.


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