Sunset Milo, winner of the 2020 Bourne Kennels Mount Gambier Cup (512 m), this Sunday will be looking to join a select group of greyhounds to have won both a Mount Gambier Cup and an Anniversary Cup at Tara Raceway.
Last Sunday, the son of My Bro Fabio and Jewel Action won his way through to the Exchange Printers Anniversary Cup final (512 m) with a virtual all the way win in 29.70 seconds for owners Tim Aloisi and Matt Lehman and Allendale East trainer David Peckham.
A big leader down the back, Sunset Milo withstood another barnstorming finish from the Tracie Price trained Tandiki to win by 1¾ lengths in 29.70 seconds. In third spot was Lee Bartholomew’s Rough Pearl, into his second consecutive Anniversary Cup final.
It was in 1987 that the Connie Miller trained Durafi won both cups at Glenburnie. Then in 2005 Terry Scanlon’s Ripin Ruby completed the double before Mojito Mayhem won the Anniversary Cup in 2015 and 2016 and the Mount Gambier Cup in 2016 for Peter Franklin.
Peckham will hold a strong hand in Sunday’s final after Aston Model and Maximum Refusal ran the quinella in the second heat. Only a nose separated the pair with Price’s Smokey River finishing in third spot in 30.12 seconds.
Yet to win an Anniversary Cup, Peckham rated Maximum Refusal as probably the best run of his three finalists but conceded he would probably need to draw in close to be a real chance.
“For sure, he’s better suited in close as is Aston Model,” he said. “But as far as Sunset Milo is concerned I’m really not too fussed where he draws.”
Price, who won last year’s Anniversary Cup with Spring Cuervo, also looks to hold a strong hand with Tandiki, especially if she draws out wide. And the much improved Smokey River overcame early trouble in his heat before making up plenty of ground in the run home.
Portland trainer Nicole Stanley will be chasing her third Anniversary Cup after Aston Prestige and Close Your Eyes qualified. She was successful in 2017 with Fiorelli Rose and the following year with Ben Nevis.
Toolong owner-trainer Phil Lenehan’s Lektra Moon took the time honours in the John Reid Memorial Maiden heats, leading all the way in heat two and clocking a handy 30.05 seconds.
According to Lenehan, the son of Mepunga Blazer and Lektra Fire hampered his chances in his early races with shocking box manners.
“At his first five starts he made a complete mess of the start but at his past two he’s jumped a lot better so hopefully the penny has now dropped,” he said.
Lenehan bred and owned Lektra Rocket who won the 2011 Reid Memorial for Minyip trainer David Chandler.
The well-bred first starter Compton Amy (My Redeemer x Headline) led all the way in the first of the memorial heats, eventually running out a 5½ lengths winner over Paradise Five in 30.46 seconds for Tracie and Karen Price.
Price won the Reid Memorial in 2015 with My Pal Houston, Peckham (Paradise Five) in 2006 with Bourne Destiny, while Stanley (Aston Maltster – fourth in heat one) was successful in 2014 with Eylandt Princess and again in 2016 with Hay Miss.