Locally owned and trained greyhounds Bourne Model and Canya Striker have won their way through to Thursday night’s $14,275 Leigh Rogers grade 6 feature final (530 metres) at Angle Park.
Raced by Christine Yourgules, David Peckham, Kevin Douglas and Kev Patzel, Bourne Model – who drew box one in the third of six heats – took the lead going out of the first turn before running away to a 3½ length win over Auntie Clare in 30.73 seconds.
Trained at Allendale East by Peckham, the daughter of Feral Franky and Sweet On Me continues to race well. Earlier in the year she won the John Reid Memorial Maiden (512 m) and Cadillac Racing Winter Classic (512 m) at Tara Raceway prior to reaching the SA Oaks final at Angle Park.
And Peckham will be hoping for better luck in this year’s final than back in 2021 when Midnight Bandit finished a luckless fourth behind Don’t Tell Lies in the Leigh Rogers.
Also jumping from box one was Canya Striker who looked to be in all sorts of strife early after being slowly away at his first look at the track and then receiving a check going out of the first turn.
But the son of Shima Shine and Joyful quickly sorted himself out and finished the race off strongly when defeating Terrific Lucy by 1¾ lengths in 30.94 seconds – and perhaps promising better things to come.
Canya Striker is owned by Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club manager Mark Dwyer who recently purchased the black dog from Victoria after he had won his maiden over 715 metres at Sandown Park back in August.
Now training Canya Striker for Dwyer is Meningie-based Tim Richards – two starts for two wins in SA after a first-up win at Murray Bridge. The connection is one that goes back many years to when their fathers had been associated.
The Leigh Rogers Memorial is a series that recognises the former Greyhound Racing SA Food and Beverage manager. And it’s a race that has been won by some more than handy greyhounds on their way up including Coorong Lucy, Fly For Trix and Victa Damian.
Interestingly, the inaugural Leigh Rogers was run in 2017 and won by Lonely Cowboy who was trained by Carole Scott, wife of Brenton, the current GRSA Chief Executive Officer.
Successful the following year was Kirin Corby’s Tauwitchere who went on to win 19 races and more than $263,000 in prize money.
The box draw for the 2024 Leigh Rogers final is: 1 He’s Magic (Liz Chegia), 2 Starburst Candy (Darrell Johnstone), 3 Dakota Mila (Colin Simes), 4 Darcy Dakota (Kerry Stagg), 5 One Two Me (Brenda Oakey), 6 Canya Striker (Tim Richards), 7 Bourne Model (David Peckham), 8 Mitzi Rocks (Cameron Forshaw). Reserves: 9 Scary Eyes (Cameron Forshaw), 10 Cherry Lane (Cameron Forshaw).
Pictures: Ash Penhall