For Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club (MGGRC) secretary, Ruth Lewis, a recent clean-up day at home had resulted in the re-emergence of a medal in a presentation case that had been gathering dust for a lengthy duration.
It turns out the medal went back to January 26, 1988 when Lewis and her family had made the trip from Adelaide to Port Pirie where they had greyhounds engaged at the club’s Australia Day meeting.
And they had come home with a winner after Benayeo Royale, a daughter of Trevenson and Call Me Remo had won over 516 metres in a time of 31.37 seconds.
A fair amount of water has passed under the bridge since then. But when the medal – which had later been engraved with the winner’s name and meeting date – did resurface, the club secretary suggested the presentation of Australia Day medals at the club’s meeting on January 26, 2025.
As a result, all winners at Tara Raceway’s meeting on that day will receive an Australia Day medal in a presentation case. And Glencoe trainer Edna Fennell was suitably impressed with the medal, one of which was at the track last week.
“That’s beautiful,” she said. “I only hope one of my greyhounds is able to win on Australia Day.”
Meanwhile, Sandown Park track manager Tim Godfrey, currently holidaying with wife Hayley and family, caught up with local trackmen Tim Manterfield and Mark Hall at Tara Raceway’s meeting last Thursday.
Godfrey boasts a wealth of greyhound knowledge and experience with his family having bred and raced greyhounds for as long as he can remember.
Formerly head trackman at the Cranbourne Greyhound Racing Club, where he spent eight years, Godfrey said his sole goal was to ensure a fit-for-purpose track on race night.
“Really, it’s a matter of ensuring the latest research methodologies are applied to deliver consistent track ratings in any condition,” he said.
Also on track last Thursday was Icon Signs’ Rhys Stuckey, measuring up for a new “red brick wall”, the now-covered original version in the clubrooms having acknowledged donations to the 1990s club building fund.
The name plaques from the original wall have been saved and may be placed on the new facsimile red brick wall.
An interesting move has been the Mount Gambier Cup feature display – work also carried out by Icon Signs – which has now moved from one end of the clubrooms to the other, in close proximity to the canteen.
Actually the move has been quite remarkable given the number of people who have now commented on the display, not having realised it had been at the other end of the clubrooms for something like two years!
The clubroom renovations aren’t too far away from completion with the new bar now in operation. And keep an eye out for the canteen girls – Abby, Carol, Nescia and Viv – in their new bright pink shirts.
The Family Fun in the Sun day, last year’s biggest meeting, is back again on Sunday, January 19 with free kids’ entertainment including a bouncy castle, face painting and ice cream as well as trackside music, bar, barbecue. TAB and bookmaker facilities will also be on course.