Sunday, May 3, 2020
With the Nineofus Syndicate currently experiencing a terrific run with their greyhounds, they’ll be hoping this year’s on-again Bourne Kennels Mount Gambier Cup (512 metres) will be run sooner rather than later.
Greyhound Racing SA is also keen to have the cup run and won by the end of June although this will be subject to the lifting of border restrictions in place at the moment due to COVID-19.
The Ross Schurgott-managed syndicate enjoyed another good day last Thursday when Squishy Pea and Our Man Zed ran the quinella in the South Eastern Hotel Mixed Stake (400 m) at Tara Raceway and that night Silent Jacko finished second at Angle Park.
A giveaway, the beautifully bred Squishy Pea, a son of Fernando Bale x Secret Spell (23 wins, $276,000 stakemoney), chased kennelmate Our Man Zed until the home turn where he took advantage of the leader moving out, eventually finishing a 1¾ lengths winner in 23.24 seconds.
Four years old last week, the black dog has now won 12 races for the syndicate – including the 2019 Williams Crane Hire Christmas Cup and 2020 New Year’s Gift, both over 512 metres at Tara Raceway, plus a 515 metres win at Angle Park – since joining David Peckham’s Allendale East kennels last year.
Purchased last year prior to racing from NSW breeder David Pringle, Silent Jacko has now won 11 races at Tara Raceway, Angle Park and Murray Bridge since joining Peckham’s kennels. By Kinloch Brae x Bonnie’s Secret, the brindle dog is currently being trained in Adelaide by Ben Rawlings.
Squishy Pea’s win was the third leg of a running treble for Peckham and brought up the leading trainer’s 45th win this year at the local track after Rock It Fernando and Fabs You Go had won over the 512 metres journey.
Raced by Lena Aloisi, Rock It Fernando made it two wins from three starts at Tara Raceway when leading all the way from box seven in the Bourne Kennels Stake to defeat a determined Galactic Horizon by 2¼ lengths in 30.21 seconds.
And in the five-dog Trackside Meats Stake, Peckham managed to land the trifecta when Fabs You Go, raced by Tim Aloisi and Matt Lehman, found the front going out of the first turn before running out a strong 5½ length winner over Bourne Blackjack and Missing Mate in 30.12 seconds.
It’s now been close to two years since the WA-bred Wise Stella won her maiden over 400 metres at Tara Raceway in a flying 22.89 seconds – still the fastest maiden time recorded at the local track and back then only a length outside Cryer’s Ricky’s 22.78 seconds track record.
While it’s probably fair to say that a considerable amount of water has passed under the bridge since then, the black bitch – these days raced by her trainer Tracie Price’s son, Ben – brought up her eighth win at the track in last Thursday’s Klaassens Contractors Stake (400 m).
Always on the pace from box two, Wise Stella railed through off the back to take the lead, eventually running out a 2¼ lengths winner over Shannah’s Gift in a time of 23.55 seconds.
She had found her way over to Mount Gambier back in late 2017 after an infringement at Sandown Park – the Compton-based Price hoping the finish-on lure at Tara Raceway would help to turn her fortunes around.
By Barcia Bale, Wise Stella is out of Wise Penny’s third litter which also includes Wise Ricciardo, a winner of 12 races and $94,000 in stakemoney.
Wise Penny was purchased in late 2009 from NSW by a group of seven WA country guys who had got together to race a greyhound. She was then transferred to WA where she won eight races, all at Cannington over 530 metres and 642 metres.
Later, she was served by Cosmic Chief, that mating subsequently producing Group 1 Rookie Rebel winner Cosmic Wise who raced on 100 occasions for 26 wins and more than $230,000 in stakemoney.
Cosmic Wise was later mated with Fernando Bale, Wise Thunder one of the first to race from that litter and winning on debut recently at Sandown Park. A second litter to follow is by My Redeemer.
All told, Wise Penny, the 515 metres Gosford maiden winner by Bombastic Shiraz purchased all those years ago, turned out to be a top producer – 21 pups from three litters with all hitting the track and all winning.