It was back in 2021 that the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club members first commenced their tipping competition, a concept introduced by race day regular Kevin Douglas.
This had been with a view to supporting local charities through the donations of the Tara Tipsters who continue to contribute at the twice-weekly race meetings at Tara Raceway.
And on track last Sunday to receive a donation from the tipsters, following the running of the Tara Tipsters Mixed Stake (512 metres), were Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group representatives Jill Gilmore, Di Norman and Loraine Baron.
The Breast Cancer Awareness Group provides comfort, care and financial support to local breast cancer sufferers through their Helping Hand Bag initiative.
The race itself looked to be an interesting eight-dog affair, especially with the inclusion of Paw Danny, a son of Allen Deed and Enicka Bale, who was having his first run at the local track for Kinglake West trainer Grant Hammerstein.
Away well from box five, Paw Danny took the lead going out of the first turn and from then on was never headed, eventually running out a 4¾ length winner over the Tracie Price trained pair of Chuck A Party and Jetson in a more than tidy time of 29.44 seconds.
The win was the first at Tara Raceway for Hammerstein who had picked up the black dog as a giveaway prior to racing from Victorian trainer Michael Gibbons.
And Paw Danny has done pretty well for him, successful on debut at Shepparton last September prior to winning a further eight races which includes Sandown Park and The Meadows.
“He’s the only one I have racing at the moment,” Hammerstein said. “But I also have six retired greyhounds. And I’ve become so attached to them that they have become family pets.”
Meanwhile, a couple of races earlier, Hammerstein’s nephew, Paul Hammerstein of Horsham, kicked off a successful day for the family after Exactly Like Dad led all the way in the Federal Hotel Stake (400 m) for a 2½ length win over Platoon in 22.82 seconds.
Purchased as a pup, the daughter of Aussie Infrared and Quena Dee Air has now won five races from seven starts. She is a litter sister to Rose’s Marie who won her maiden at Tara Raceway last month and ran third at Warrnambool over 390 metres on Monday afternoon.
On a day of big wins, Rosalyn Hume and Geoff Collins’ Cinematic, by Aston Rupee out of 31-race winner Cosmic Blend, led the way with a 10¼ length win over Integrator in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Stake (305 m). In third spot was Lektra Lee in a quick time of 17.31 seconds.
Fastest 305 metre time of the day was recorded by maiden greyhound Pineview Disco in the Greyhoundtips.com.au Maiden/One Win Stake. He led all the way from box two when defeating another of the Hume-Collins team in Carpark Babe.
Owned by former jockey Louise Cooper, and trained at Compton by Tracie Price, the son of Tommy Shelby and Rock It Barcia scored by 3¾ lengths in 17.27 seconds – only a length outside the track record.
The win was the first of four for Price who took his local tally of wins this year to 125 after Huntsman, Compton Ava and Rocklea Earle wrapped up another successful day for the leading trainer.
Impressing at her first start over 600 metres was One Feather in the Carlin & Gazzard Stake. The daughter of Fernando Bale and Dynamite Miss took the lead down the back straight from Oregon Caldwell before running out a 7¾ length winner over Blue Moon Marie in a quick 34.93 seconds.
The white and black bitch, bred, owned and trained by Gary Lane of Bushfield, boasts an impressive staying line, tracing back to Malfoy, a 732 metre Tara Raceway winner, along with multiple 642 metre wins at Cannington in WA.
And back even further to Al Fresco, a city-winning stayer at Wentworth Park, Sandown Park and The Meadows.
Princetown owner-trainer April Janssen was back with a vengeance last Sunday with Swift Gift who had been chasing her first win since the end of March at Tara Raceway.
Lining up from box seven in the Ontrack Insider Open Stake (400 m), the daughter of Aston Rupee and Mepunga Bella led all the way, running out a 6¼ length winner over Compton Copy in 22.78 seconds.
Another of the giveaway greyhound variety, Swift Gift has won 12 races for Janssen. She now has her sights set on next month’s SA Country Cup (512 m), a maximum of two heats being run at Tara Raceway on Sunday, September 27.
The $10,000 G-Six SA Country Cup final will be run at Angle Park on Adelaide Cup night on Friday, October 9.
