Meningie owner-trainer Tim Richards will be chasing another feature race win when he returns to Tara Raceway on Sunday with He’s All Purpose for the Carlin & Gazzard MG Summer Classic (512 metres).
All things being equal, though, Richards would have missed out on the Summer Classic had there been a sufficient number of greyhounds nominated for the heats which had been programmed for yesterday’s meeting.
Actually, he had plenty entered for this meeting but had failed to specify “Summer Classic” on his nomination form. First conducted in 2015, this will be the first time the event has been run as a one-off race.
For all greyhounds whelped on or after January 1, 2020, the Richards owned and trained He’s All Purpose is a February 2020 whelping by Aston Dee Bee out of Purpose Driven. He went around yesterday as an odds-on favourite in a smart Metal Worx Mixed Stake (512 m).
Away only fairly from box five, He’s All Purpose eventually finished 2¾ lengths third behind Departure Gate and Minnie Banjo in 29.72 seconds – still a pretty handy trial for the forthcoming age-restricted race.
He’s the dog that last September as a 19-month-old youngster carved out a quick 29.69 seconds when winning a Mount Gambier heat of the SA Country Cup (512 m). The following month he won the final at Angle Park.
For Richards, it will be a case of chasing a second consecutive Summer Classic after Justice For All defeated the $50 chance Don’t Forget Kev, trained at Toolong by Phil Lenehan, in a race record time of 29.59 seconds.
One greyhound that was nominated for the Summer Classic was the Lenehan-trained Lektra Rhino, a January 2020 son of Zambora Brockie and 12-race winner Lektra Viki.
Lektra Rhino went into yesterday’s Exchange Printers Stake (512 m) as a $1.40 chance on the back of a four lengths second in a personal time of 29.67 seconds behind current track record holder Giant’s Flash the week prior.
Slowly away from box six, the black dog was never out of trouble before running home well to finish a four length third behind Butter Up Again in 30.09 seconds.
Lenehan will be chasing his second Mount Gambier classic after Lektra Munster was successful in the 2016 Winter Classic (512 m).