Monday, April 22, 2019
Long-time trainer Paul Teuma, who regularly makes the two-hour trip across to Mount Gambier for Tara Raceway’s time-graded meetings, finally broke through last Wednesday with his giveaway greyhound Oemi Allen in the Trackside Meats Stake (512 metres).
And it wasn’t a bad effort, either, the light fawn bitch last early but gaining a rails run going out of the first turn then railing through on the leader Trammel down the back straight before running away to a 7¼ length win over Stella Story in 30.61 seconds.
Teuma picked up the daughter of Dyna Nalin and five-time The Meadows winner Ferrari Bale from NSW in October 2017 after she had previously won her first race at Geelong over 400 metres in the January of that year.
A second-placing behind her litter brother Allen Paul at her second start for Teuma at Tara Raceway over 400 metres in December 2017 had him confident that her second win wasn’t too far away.
But as it turned out, Oemi Allen’s second win, and her first for Teuma, the January 2015 whelping’s fourth trainer, would be a long time coming – close to 2½ years in fact.
“The day certainly ended better than it started,” said Teuma, involved in the sport for more than 50 years. “And it was a great relief to finally win a race with Oemi Allen after a constant battle with injuries as well as having to deal with seasonal issues.”
Last Wednesday’s win by Oemi Allen, a half-sister to Yappy Allen – a winner of three races at Tara Raceway this year – was the Winslow trainer’s first at Tara Raceway since January when Chelsea Road was successful over the 400 metre journey.