Sunday, September 29, 2019
Thursday’s time-graded meetings at Tara Raceway continue to acknowledge the need that exists within greyhound racing to accommodate all levels of dogs with the opportunity to continue to compete.
Case in point – Mr. Agro, Noosa Parade and Ace Gone Wild – all ranging in age between 4½ and 5¾, all with more than 100 starts to their name, and all winners at last Thursday’s meeting.
Mr. Agro and Shadrack pretty well went stride for stride in the Laser Electrical Stake (400 metres), the former getting in the bob of the head on the line for Charlton owner-trainer Kevin Ashton when running 24.16 seconds.
For the January 2014 son of Bobby Boucheau and 10-race winner Lacey Underall, Mr. Agro’s win was only his fourth in a 101-start career and a real drought-breaker given that it was his first success in more than two years.
“He certainly doesn’t win out of turn,” Ashton said. “But as far as this year has been concerned, he did miss six months of racing while the syndicate that previously raced him sorted out their ownership issues before ultimately signing him over to me.
“But as his winning time suggests, the time-graded and six-dog format give him the opportunity to remain in the system and hopefully win another race or two.”
Noosa Parade, a January 2015 son of Collision x Miss Black Fern, brought up his tenth win – his past seven being at Tara Raceway – at start number 121 when leading all the way in the Gambier Vets Stake (600 m), defeating Rooster by 3¾ lengths in 35.50 seconds.
Ecklin South trainer Peter Fulton’s last win with Noosa Parade had been back in early June when the black dog had defeated Cryer’s Plugger over 732 metres prior to turning in some recent solid performances behind Black Spring and Saint David.
With a time-graded rating of 5.75, Noosa Parade, after gaining a start in the middle-distance event, appreciated a fair drop in class and as such would have derived plenty from the confidence-boosting win.
Mount Moriac owner-trainer Kevin Ward, one of the Thursday regulars at Tara Raceway, brought up his 16th winner at the track this year when Ace Gone Wild defeated Slipaway Bolt and the early leader Penny La Moment in a time of 23.60 seconds in the Swallow Drive Meats Stake (400 m).
Ward also bred Ace Gone Wild, a son of Cosmic Chief and boasting strong US ties through his dam, Sandown Park winner Princess Douglas who is by US sire Craigie Whistler out of Bo Douglas (a daughter of EJ’s Douglas).
The five-year-old Ace Gone Wild has now raced on 115 occasions for Ward for 17 wins, 26 minor placings and more than $20,000 in stakemoney.
More often than not, greyhounds by the time they have raced on more than 100 occasions have done the rounds and seen a few different trainers. Not this trio, though – all still with their first trainers.
Rockbank-based Wade Green, another Thursday regular, trained his 26th winner for the year at Tara Raceway when Everlasting Love, having her first start at the track, led all the way in the Metal Worx Stake (400 m) to defeat kennelmate Yeppy Allen by 2½ lengths in 23.59 seconds.
The fifth trainer for the former NSW-based daughter of Barcia Bale x High Class Love, Green picked up the black bitch earlier this month after she had been advertised on an internet site as a giveaway with early speed.
The win was Everlasting Love’s second, her first coming 12 months ago when she had been successful at the Gardens over 400 metres.