Thursday, April 25, 2019
BRENDAN BUNWORTH, a greyhound trainer and former Hamilton Spectator sports journalist, stepped in to cover last week’s win of Rebel Ruth, owned and trained by David Lewis, The Border Watch greyhound correspondent.
It was a popular win by Rebel Ruth in the Fairthorne Forestry Maiden Stake (512 metres) to start proceedings at Mount Gambier’s time-graded meeting at Tara Raceway.
After several recent solid placings, the daughter of Destini Fireball and Lektra Angie had been knocking on the door for her first victory with punters believing this would be the day for the fawn bitch – a $1.60 favourite.
Lining up for her 11th start, she was away fairly from box four before powering away at the 200 metre mark, eventually running out a 10¼ length winner in 30.86 seconds and giving the litter its second win in as many days after Lektra Fireball had won at Horsham.
For Lewis, who purchased Rebel Ruth as a pup, the long wait and the long morning walks in the pines had finally paid off.
“She was four-months-old when I picked her up from Toolong breeder Phil Lenehan and from there she spent several months out at Compton with Tracie and Karen Price before I brought her home at 10 months of age.
“She’s been walking in the pines every morning since – with the exception of when she was away being broken-in by Peter Byrne and Dustin Drew at Koroit – and enjoys galloping on a regular basis at the Tara Raceway slipping track which has been a real boon to the local ‘back-yard trainers’.”
With Lewis pretty well committed on race days at Tara Raceway, it’s been left to Richard Clayfield and Michael Robinson – that trio’s association going back to the Glenburnie days of greyhound racing – to box and catch Rebel Ruth.
Robinson describes her as the people’s dog, generating a popular on-course following and with plenty of “co-trainers” ready to offer the one-dog trainer a few tips on how Rebel Ruth could further be improved.
And then there’s Serviceton owner Val Brodhurst – enjoying success again last Sunday when Dare To Do won her fourth race this year at Tara Raceway.
“I fell in love with Rebel Ruth the first time I saw her arrive at Tara Raceway, perched up on the back seat of her trainer’s little car. She’s a real sweetie and I’d love to take her home.”