The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club looks to be well represented in this year’s SA Country Cup final following yesterday’s heat wins at Tara Raceway by Lochinvar Cahill and Midnight Blast – both trained at Allendale East by David Peckham.
Lochinvar Cahill, raced by Peckham in partnership with Kevin Douglas, maintained his unbeaten record at the track over 512 metres when taking over the running from Miers down the back before holding out El Banjo for a one length win in 29.85 seconds.
By Fernando Bale out of Tears Some, the July 2020 white and black dog has now won six races at Tara Raceway, including last month’s Carlin & Gazzard MG Winter Classic.
The Nineofus Syndicate’s Midnight Blast went into the second heat having been placed at his past 12 starts. And another placing looked to be on the cards when the front-running Canya Razor gave them plenty to catch.
But in the run home it was Midnight Blast, a son of Collision and Midnight Starlet, who finished the stronger when gaining the decision by a nose in 29.82 seconds and also bringing up win number six at the track.
For Peckham, this year will be the fourth time he has had a representative in the Country Cup. In 2014 it was at Strathalbyn with Thanks Tubby and Bourne Again. The following year Thanks Tubby represented Mount Gambier at Gawler and in 2020 Dyna Carnie at Angle Park.
Since the SA Country Cup was reintroduced in 2013, Mount Gambier club representatives have been successful on three occasions – Gawler 2013 Moorak Hope (Tracie Price), Strathalbyn 2016 Berry Bling (Nicole Stanley) and Angle Park 2021 He’s All Purpose (Tim Richards).
With Lochinvar Cahill and Midnight Blast having previously raced at Angle Park, Peckham said he was now weighing up his options with the pair in the lead-up to the $7500 final which will be run on Friday, October 7 (Adelaide Cup night).
“Given that they have both been around Angle Park, I’m leaning towards trialling them at Tara Raceway on Saturday morning rather than tackling a 12-hour round trip to trial them at the city track.”
The Country Cup will be a six-dog final with Gawler and Murray Bridge also each providing two representatives.
Gawler ran one 531 metre heat on Friday with the speedy Enthusiastic, trained by Nicole Price, leading all the way to defeat Robyn Mackellar’s On The Tequila by 1¼ lengths in 30.86 seconds.
And at Murray Bridge on Sunday two heats were conducted over 530 metres. Adrien Chevalier’s Run Like Jess won the first heat in 30.17 seconds and Fantastic Faith, trained by Liz Chegia, the second in 30.11 seconds.
