Compton-based Tracie Price, Mount Gambier’s leading trainer, will be chasing his fourth Anniversary Cup (512 metres) win when Lochinvar Pearl and Dirty Cash contest this Sunday’s Federal Hotel sponsored final at Tara Raceway.
With the race dating back to 1985 when won by Kenzel Lad, Price was successful in 2020 with Spring Cuervo and then followed up with Tandiki and Giant’s Flash in the ensuing two years.
Lochinvar Pearl, a daughter of Fernando Bale and Sorry Scott, has now won five races at Tara Raceway since joining his kennels last September. Two of those wins were at the expense of Unique Destiny and Gaping Margin – also finalists in Sunday’s cup.
Lining up from box one in the third of four heats, Lochinvar Pearl, raced by Price’s daughter Sarah, was mid-field down the back straight before finishing strongly turning for home and running down Kyle Goodwin’s Energy To Burn who gave a great sight out in front.
Dirty Dash, box one runner in the second heat, chased eventual winner Royal Nangar and Galactic Nemesis down the back straight and finished strongly to qualify for the final after edging out the latter for second spot in 30.07 seconds.
By Fernando Bale out of Angel Dash, Dirty Dash is a winner of eight races for the current ownership of Price, Garry Harding and young Liam Sharam.
Royal Nangar, a blue son of Shima Shine and Nangar Diva, brought up his 26th win at start number 90 when winning his way through to the final by two lengths in the fastest of the four heats – 30.07 seconds.
A Mount Gambier representative in last year’s SA Country Cup final at Angle Park, Royal Nangar is currently trained at Moppa by Judi Hurley for Adrian Kafkoudas and Cody Stenhouse.
Unique Destiny had kicked off his racing career in Victoria with nine wins at Bendigo, Ballarat, Healesville, Geelong, Warrnambool and Horsham for Rowsley trainer Matt Lanigan before returning to his owners, the Bartholomew family of Worrolong.
His recent racing at Tara Raceway had been in Masters events over 305 metres but last Sunday the son of Blue Moon Rising and Galactic Destiny stepped up to 512 metres again for the first heat of the Anniversary Cup.
Away only fairly from box six, Unique Destiny took the lead down the back straight and from then on was never headed, eventually running out a 3¼ length winner over Come On Kilkenny – having only his third start over 512 metres this year – in 30.31 seconds.
In the final heat, Gaping Margin displayed plenty of early dash from box one and led down the back before Lie To Me took up the running. But in the run home it was Gaping Margin who finished the stronger for a 1½ length win in 30.25 seconds.
Raced by Gary Hirst of Warrnambool, the daughter of Allen Deed and Rixy Ya Pest went one better than the previous week when she had run second at her first look at the track behind Lochinvar Pearl for Winslow trainer Aimee Drew.
And following Lie To Me’s game second placing, the Hamilton-based Goodwin also goes into the $25,000 final with two runners and not asking for much. Just boxes one and two!
