They don’t come much smaller than Littlefoot, the fawn female greyhound weighing in at 23.7 kilograms prior to last Sunday’s 40th running of the Newman McDonnell Memorial final over 512 metres at Tara Raceway.
But despite drawing wide in box eight, she had crossed the classy field of grade five greyhounds by the time the first turn came up. And from then on she never looked likely to be headed, leading all the way for a 1¼ length win over Way Cool in a time of 30.14 seconds.
Littlefoot has now won eight races from 37 starts and is owned by local sisters Deb Hicks and Elysia Bartholomew. The latter is also the trainer of the daughter of Blue Moon Rising and Galactic Athena, winner of the 2019 Mount Gambier Cup when trained by the girls’ father Steve Bartholomew.
Missing the big win was her trainer who is currently on holidays. But the part-owner was on track as was their father who handled the McDonnell Memorial winner.
And Steve Bartholomew actually handled Newman McDonnell’s Tara Topar back in 1981 when the black dog won the first Mount Gambier Cup conducted at the Glenburnie racecourse.
Given the significance of last Sunday’s occasion, Margaret Considine, a passionate supporter for so many years of her father’s memorial race, had gone all out in the selection of a trophy to commemorate the race with a 40-year history.
She didn’t disappoint but then again was she ever going to? Connections received a magnificent bronze greyhound statue which had also been given a name – Oliveen.
Back in August 1964 Sandown Park had run its first Laurels over 555 yards which carried a first prize of 250 pounds. This had been won by N. F. McDonnell’s Tara Princess, a daughter of Chief Zephyr and Oliveen.
Oliveen, a daughter of Lucky Bingo and Jetrock, turned out to be a terrific producer while the Tara prefix has graced both of Mount Gambier’s greyhound tracks.
Earlier in the day Wind Whiskers led all the way from box six in the Carlin & Gazzard Mixed Stake (305 m) when defeating Cadillac Ragtop by 4¼ lengths and bringing up her sixth consecutive win at Tara Raceway.
Trained at Millicent by Dave Green, the win was Wind Whiskers’ sixth in succession, the run commencing on October 19. This was the second occasion this year that she had strung together six wins in a row – between July 20 and August 24. Both times three different distances were involved.
By Beast Unleashed out of Takers To Vegas, she has now won 20 races at Tara Raceway, as well as running seven seconds and four thirds for a total of 88 points. This ensures she will win this year’s Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year award.
In recent times Adelaide-based Barry Poyner has been a regular at Tara Raceway Sunday meetings, transporting and handling greyhounds for Moppa trainer Judi Hurley.
And he led in a running double with Zipping Grande and Busting in the Gordon Refrigeration Stake (732 m) and the Federal Hotel Stake (400 m).
Zipping Grande, a daughter of Aussie Infrared and Zipping Meg spent a greater part of the race at the rear of the four-dog affair before finishing strongly in the home straight for a 2¼ length win over kennelmate Springvale Rita in 43.87 seconds.
In the following race, Busting, a son of Sennachie and Paua Of Chloe, found the front down the back straight before running out a 1½ length winner over a fast finishing Compton Chinook in 23.32 seconds.
But Poyner had an extra customer last Sunday – a couple of Globe Derby Park trainer Jason Dolan’s litter sisters in Carry On Natasha and Carry On Kim with the former looking to make it five wins in succession.
Contesting the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Stake (305 m), Carry On Natasha was only fairly away from box five but once finding the outside running quickly put herself in the race. And in the run home she was too strong for Big Solomona when winning by three lengths in 17.83 seconds.
Carry On Kim settled in second spot behind Trading Halt in the Commercial Hotel Stake (400 m) before taking the lead off the back and running out a 5¾ length winner in a quick 22.79 seconds.
By Bernardo, the sisters are out of Colden Brookie who is daughter of Colden Star who won 10 races at Tara Raceway when trained by Bea Bryant.
The wins were Dolan’s first at Tara Raceway since he had been down for the 2023 Mount Gambier Cup and won a heat of the Formula 400 Open with Charlie Brother.