An interestingly bred greyhound by the name of Ibbie Bale attracted some attention at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s Christmas Cup meeting.

She’s a daughter of US sire RT’s Bo Jangles, an All-American in 2017, and Winnie Allen, a winner of 17 races and $72,000 in prize money.

RT’s Bo Jangles, a son of Kiowa Mon Manny and Penrose Karrie, raced exclusively at Derby Lane where he won on 88 occasions from 148 starts.

Ibbie Bale’s racing career kicked off in January at Warrnambool. Three weeks later, though, she copped a 28 day suspension after failing to finish in a maiden 400 metre event at Geelong.

Fast forward to the end of July and Ibbie Bale, still unsighted on the race track since her suspension, had found her way to trainer Jason Newman’s Moorak kennels.

But it wasn’t until December 18 that the black bitch finally returned to the track – having her first race start at Mount Gambier for local owners Darren Gray and Jeremy Nunan.

Ibbie Bale lined up from box five in the Exchange Printers Maiden Stake (400 m), Newman the first to admit that he rated her no chance after a recent steady 23.90 seconds 400 metre satisfactory trial.

“Look, she’d been in the kennels for months and every time I trialled her from the 305 metre boxes she would pull up just around the corner at the 600 metre boxes,” he said.

“At least she got around from the 400 metre start when doing her satisfactory. And while the time was ordinary I decided to stick her in a race and hope for the best.”

Ibbie Bale, a litter sister to Hannele Bale (a winner of 13 races and $48,000 in prize money), went straight to the front from box five and was never headed.

In fact, on the line she had 1½ lengths to spare over Aston Boris when clocking a respectable 23.48 seconds. And that was certainly a better way of ending the year.