Toolong owner-trainer Phil Lenehan, last successful at Mount Gambier in early January with Lektra Tinsel, was back among the winners at last Sunday’s Tara Raceway meeting with Lektra Shane and Lektra Vera.
However, as far as Lektra Shane is concerned, don’t be fooled by the male name. According to Lenehan, the daughter of Ritza Lenny and It’s A Shame was supposed to have been named Lektra Shame.
“I don’t want to say too much, but there was a bit of a mix-up when we were sorting out the name for her,” he said.
Anyway, irrespective of her name, she looked pretty good on debut when quickly finding the front from box eight in the Winning Post Supplies Maiden Stake (305 metres) before running out a 4¼ length winner over Love Me Better in a smart 17.71 seconds.
“She had been showing plenty of early pace in her trials at Warrnambool,” Lenehan said. “And given that she had never been on the Mount Gambier track I was pretty happy with the way she handled herself.”
It was back in early 2022 that Lenehan had received a call from Branxholme owner-trainer Laughlan McLean to see whether he would be interested in a NSW-bred pup by Ritza Lenny out of eight-race winner It’s A Shame.
“At the time I was a bit light on for pups so I suggested to Laughlan to see if he could negotiate a package deal on the 14-week-old litter,” he said.
“In the end he came up with a deal of three pups for $900 each. Laughlan had the pick of the three and opted for a black dog that now races as Pull Start Pumba. We kept the other two – Lektra Shane’s litter brother being a white and black dog named Penguin Pat.”
Later in the day, and on the back of a close-up second the week prior, the short-priced Lektra Vera lined up from box one in the Exchange Printers Stake (400 m).
And the April 2021 daughter of Mepunga Blazer and Lektra Viki – her second litter – never looked in any danger of defeat when leading all the way for a 4½ length win over consistent placegetter Katoni in 23.08 seconds.
A winner of 12 races at Mount Gambier, Warrnambool, Strathalbyn, Angle Park and Horsham, Lektra Viki’s first litter includes Mount Gambier 305 m joint record holder Lektra Gal, Lektra Heckler (19 wins, $103,000 prize money), Lektra Rhino (14, $68,000) and Toolong Tiger (19, $55,000).
Lenehan’s last double at Tara Raceway had been 12 months ago with Lektra Raffa and Lektra Gal.