It’s fair to say She’s A Jumbo, owned and trained at Meningie by Tim Richards, looked anything but a $1.22 chance after making a real mess of the start in last Sunday’s Ferness @ Stud final (512 metres) at Tara Raceway.
Drawn out in box eight, she had given the field a conservative three lengths at box rise. However, down the back the black bitch had put herself into the race after working into second spot behind tearaway leader Aston Deutz.
And in the run home, She’s A Jumbo simply kept coming, eventually running out a two length winner over the David Peckham trained Aston Deutz in 29.86 seconds. In third place was Lorraine Goodwin’s Major Queen, a half-sister to Ferness.
Connections of She’s A Jumbo also received a Ferness straw, kindly donated by Ron Evans. A son of Fernando Bale and Princess Kiwi, Ferness won 15 races, including the 2025 Richmond Derby, and prize money of more than $170,000.
Richards is now looking at next month’s SA Country Cup with the Ferness winner and her litter brother Big Diesel who earlier this year won the Autumn Classic (512 m) at Tara Raceway. They are by Bernardo out of Rhonda Lily and bred locally by Tracie Price.
It was back in October 2021 that the Richards owned and trained He’s All Purpose, representing the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club, won the SA Country Cup final (530 m) at Angle Park in a time of 30.76 seconds.
A maximum of two heats of the SA Country Cup heats (512 m) will be run at Mount Gambier on Sunday, September 27. Two runners each from Mount Gambier, Gawler and Murray Bridge will contest the 530 metre $10,000 final at Angle Park on Friday, October 9.
Meanwhile, Duran Nirvana, trained for Sarah Barbetti by Dustin Drew of Dennington, found winning form again after turning in an impressive performance in the Federal Hotel Mixed Stake over 512 metres.
By Ballymac Kingdom out of Fabriola Duran, the black dog led all the way from box five for a 3½ length win over Paw Danny in 29.48 seconds. Following the best of day win, Drew is now likely to also give the SA Country Cup serious consideration.
For the first time since June 7, distance racing over 732 metres was back at Tara Raceway last Sunday – thanks to Lewiston-based Clint Trengove who owned and trained the four runners.
Actually, Oregon Janet, owned and trained by Trengove’s son Lucas, had been the last winner at Tara Raceway over the distance after defeating Compton Rocky by a length in a time of 43.70 seconds.
Lining up from box six in last Sunday’s Ontrack Insider Mixed Stake, Nova’s Fern never looked like losing when running out a 7¾ length winner over Akela Martial, another of the imported Ballymac Kingdom progeny racing at Tara Raceway last Sunday.
Millicent trainer Dave Green, out of the winner’s circle since early March, made up for lost time last week with kennel newcomer Moonlight Nellie who is owned at Warrnambool by Linda Gore.
Lining up from box eight in the Quickmix Concrete Group TG1-4W Stake (305 m) at the Thursday meeting, Moonlight Nellie was always on the pace before finishing strongly for a narrow win over Shirl The Whirl in 17.93 seconds.
Then at the Sunday meeting the daughter of Fernando Bale and My Girl Kizzy led all the way from box one in the Greyhoundtips.com.au Stake (400 m) for a 1¾ length win over Divine Power in a tidy 22.85 seconds.
And in what was a good day for the Gore family, Moonlight Grand, owned and trained by Linda’s husband Rob, scored a solid win in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 when defeating former NSW greyhound Dynamic Sunny by 1¾ lengths in 17.63 seconds.
Gus Limes wrapped up the day when bringing up his first win since late May for local owner Kevin Bouchier and Mortlake trainer Peter Crawley in the Klaassens Contractors Mixed Stake (400 m).
The son of Aston Rupee and Elle Limes quickly found the front from box four and was never headed when running out a length winner over Lie To Me in 23.05 seconds.
The win added to Gus Limes’ Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year tally and consolidated his spot at the top of the leader board – a position he has held since April when taking over from Capybara.
The brindle dog has now won six races this year and run 12 seconds and five thirds at Tara Raceway for a total of 71 points. Closest to him is the Goodwin family’s Kia Keeping who has registered five wins, six seconds and two thirds for 60 points.
