It’s fair to say that when it comes to greyhound racing, Kerry Hawker, now based at Edenhope, has come a long way since that day three years ago when she trained her first winner at the Mount Gambier track.
The dog in question, her first runner as a trainer, was Gold Rocks who it has to be said gave Hawker a few anxious moments in the final stages of the 400 metre race when Captain Obvious charged home to get within a nose.
And the day became even better for the rookie trainer in the following race with Our Bro Paddy making it two wins from two runners when never looking in any danger of defeat in another 400 metre event.
Fast forward three years and a fair amount of water has passed under the bridge for Hawker who these days runs Cadillac Racing – major sponsor of the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club – in partnership with Captain Abbott.
They don’t miss too many race meetings – Thursday or Sunday – and last week’s Thursday fixture saw Hawker off to a flying start with Pate Biscuit in the Williams Crane Hire TG1-4W Stake over 305 metres.
Chasing her second win in a 22-start career, Pate Biscuit and Sudoku Shirley matched motors throughout with the former winning by a neck in 18.09 seconds.
A daughter of Aussie Infrared and Marlise Bale, Pate Biscuit was purchased unraced but named for $500 from Postman’s Ridge Education Centre in Queensland.
Hawker then followed up in the Commercial Hotel TG5+W Stake (400 m) with Kerry’s Cadillac – chasing her first win this year – who led all the way and defeated Rocket Susie by a length in 23.68 seconds.
And bringing up her first treble was Cadillac Belle, a litter sister to Pate Biscuit, and purchased from Postman’s Ridge at breaking-in for $4,500.
Chasing her 10th win, Cadillac Belle led all the way from box two when defeating Rocket Susie by a length in the Icon Signs TG5+W Stake (400 m).
Hawker’s treble took her winning tally this year at the local track to 25 and Cadillac Racing’s total to 74 after Abbott trained his 49th winner with Cadillac Patch in the last race, the Winning Post Supplies TG5+W Stake (512 m).
In a 12 month period Cadillac Racing purchased 40 pups. “And they have more than paid their way,” Abbott said.
Hawker’s involvement in greyhound racing goes back to the early 1980s and the original Tara Raceway track that had been situated inside the racetrack at Glenburnie.
“My interest came about through my uncle, Alec Steele, who had been the inaugural president of the South East Greyhound Racing Club back in 1972-73. Some 20 years later he was awarded life membership of the club.
“Actually, at one stage I was on the stewards’ panel which was headed by Michael Robinson who is still a regular at Tara Raceway race meetings.”
Hawker then dropped out of the sport for a number of years before once again teaming up with Robinson in an ownership role.
“I raced a couple of greyhounds with Michael – Gentle Moment and Penny La Moment – and they both won races at the local track.”
