Tuesday, June 25, 2019
After three recent unplaced runs over 390 metres at Warrnambool, Penshurst greyhound trainer Kayla Bunworth opted for a change of track and for the first time brought Zipping Chance to Mount Gambier for last Sunday’s meeting at Tara Raceway.
And the daughter of Don’t Knocka Him and Tricky Jade – a city-winning bitch at Sandown Park and Wentworth Park – looked well placed in box eight in the Winmore Greyhound Kennels Stake (400 metres).
But it was kennelmate Five Times Table, trained by husband Brendan, that showed the way early from box one before Zipping Chance, despite racing wide on the home turn, finished strongly to defeat Banjo Bad Boy and the early leader in 23.41 seconds.
The win was the first at Tara Raceway for Kayla Bunworth who said she had been surprised by the win.
“As a rule she has to lead to win so when I saw her headed early by Five Times Table I thought she would be no chance.”
Raced by the Lidpingers Syndicate, Bunworth is Zipping Chance’s fifth trainer, the May 2016 whelping coming into the kennels in mid-May and quickly opening her winning account with a win over 390 metres at Warrnambool.
Bunworth said that as they prefer racing at Tara Raceway on a Sunday afternoon, due to a busy week-day work schedule, there was a chance Zipping Chance could soon be moved on.
“I think the syndicate is keen for her to do her racing on Victorian tracks where there is more prizemoney so we’ll just have to see how that plays out,” she said.
The win of Miss Jacky in the Greg Martlew Autos Mixed Stake made her the second daughter of a former Tara Raceway 600 metre record holder to recently win over the middle-distance at Tara Raceway.
A fortnight ago Flash Jackie, a daughter of inaugural 600 metre record holder Striking Viking, was successful over 600 metres and last Sunday Miss Jacky, always on the pace, was too strong for Joshua Rocks and Usain Insane when clocking a tidy time of 35.34 seconds.
The fawn bitch is by Pure Octane out of Miss Jacovella, who lowered Cheap Currency’s 35.11 seconds record to 35.08 seconds on August 14, 2015 – this time standing until Unsub Andy ran 35.04 seconds on March 11, 2016.
In Mount Gambier trainer Amanda Darmanin’s kennels since mid-May, Miss Jacky is owned at Koroit by Mick Walsh who also races litter sister Lena Lake, a winner of two 600 metre races at The Meadows for Ellinbank trainer Mark Johnson.
Darmanin, who is Miss Jacky’s fourth trainer, is one of the local “back yard” training brigade to take advantage of the Tara Raceway slipping track.
“The slipping track is terrific for people with a few greyhounds and looking for a safe and secure area to gallop them in between races,” she said. “Miss Jacky has certainly appreciated the galloping, having now won two races for me.”
Miss Jacky will now line up from box one in the second heat of the $10,000-to-the-winner Hip Pocket Bendigo Winter Cup (660 m) tomorrow night while Lena Lake has drawn box two in heat one.