On the back of three luckless recent second placings over 305 metres at Tara Raceway, Sweet Edna finally broke through for her first win at her fourth start at last Sunday’s Mount Gambier meeting.
Away well from box eight in the Outback Insider Maiden Stake (305 m), she was always travelling like a winner, leading all the way for a 3½ length win over Miss Outback in 17.53 seconds.
Raced by Peter Byrne of Koroit, Sweet Edna was trained at her first start by Trevor Steel of Nullawarre North prior to being transferred locally to Dean Fennell of Glencoe.
And there was no one happier with the win than the trainer’s wife who just happens to also be named Edna and rarely misses a Tara Raceway meeting.
“She had enjoyed no luck whatsoever at her first three race starts and it was really pleasing to see things go her way last Sunday when opening her winning account in a personal best time,” Edna said.
For Dean Fennell, sitting in second spot behind Tracie Price on the Mount Gambier leading trainers’ list, the win was his 38th for 2026.
Bred by Byrne, the January 2025 whelped Sweet Edna is by Plaintiff out of Mepunga Stellar, the dam of 19 winners this year at Tara Raceway.
Back in Mount Gambier last Sunday and chasing his first local winner since April last year with Mr. Beets was Gary Peach of Cape Clear with Laid Back Lass in the Cadillac Racing Stake (305 m).
And the Peach-bred daughter of Aston Dee Bee and Happy Lass quickly found the front from box eight before running out a 2¼ length winner over the Fennell-trained Saint Ella in 17.48 seconds.
Raced by Peach’s nephew Josh, Laid Back Lass was having only her third start back after injuring a back leg muscle at the end of May. Happy Lass lacks nothing when it comes to breeding, being by Collision out of Weeping Lass and a half-sister to Silver Brute.
Owned and trained by Gary Peach, Silver Brute, a son of Aston Dee Bee and Weeping Lass, raced on 100 occasions for 63 wins, nine seconds and 10 thirds and accumulated prize money of close to $300,000.
Others in the litter included Action Girl (50 wins and $236,375 in prize money, Mobile Legend (20, $190,685), Struck Gold (19, $63,685) and Slick Lass (11, $33,973).
Involved in greyhound racing for more than 50 years, Peach currently has 23 dogs on the property with 17 in work.
And while his long-time involvement has seen him race on plenty of tracks, Peach still maintains that it’s always a good day at Tara Raceway.
Local trainer Elysia Bartholomew’s Divine Poppy, a daughter of Tommy Shelby and Galactic Destiny, broke through for her first win at start number nine in the Greyhoundtips.com.au Maiden Stake (305 m).
Leading all the way from box one, Divine Poppy defeated Compton Malt by 1¾ lengths in 17.41 seconds – a quick time for maiden greyhounds.
And Bartholomew landed a litter double after Trackman Tim quickly found the front from box eight in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Stake (400 m) before running out a 7¾ length winner over Come On Luba in 23.00 seconds.
The win was his fourth from five starts since taking up residence in Mount Gambier for Elysia and Steve Bartholomew and Gerald Lanigan.
The Paddy Pretlove-managed syndicate who races the Bill Hartigan-trained Tabasco Fiasco missed out a couple of weeks ago when the white and fawn bitch won her maiden at Tara Raceway.
But with their greyhound fronting up again last week there was no way they were going to miss out a second time. And Paddy and his team were certainly out in force at Tara Raceway.
By Fernando Bale out of Yarramundi Bee, and bred at Lewiston by Vadim Roz, Tabasco Fiasco is one of a litter of 11 – a couple having already won half a dozen races each.
And Tabasco Fiasco looked impressive in the Pindari at Stud Stake (305 m) when jumping from box eight. Quickly away, she soon took up the running and went to the line strongly for a 2¾ length win in 17.43 seconds.
Paddy and the boys and girls certainly didn’t hold back. The celebrations were long and loud.
