Berringa-based trainer Michael Niele – a regular at Thursday’s Mount Gambier time-graded meetings – for the second time this year landed a treble at Tara Raceway, this time with Rusty Wheels, Here For Glory and Big Deb Osti at the July 4 fixture.
Previously he had led in three winners on May 2 with Majestic Max, Big Deb Osti and Rocket Susie. Last year he trained a treble on June 1 with Late Mail, Arrow Bar Teddy and Bridgewater Bob.
Rusty Wheels, who weighed in at a sizeable 37.1 kilograms, was chasing his first win from five starts when lining up from box two in the Progreyhoundtips.com Maiden Stake (305 metres).
And the wheels never looked like falling off when the black dog led all the way for a three length win over Manner Of Strife in a personal best time of 17.98 seconds.
By Shima Shine, Rusty Wheels, owned by Bendigo CFA firefighter Ashley Baker, is out of former WA bitch Salsa Monelli who won eight races and more than $44,000 in prize money.
“Initially, it was a case of making a nine-hour drive to Dubbo to select one of the litter, said Baker. “We then left him there to be reared before he returned home at about 14 months of age prior to breaking-in.
“The family then put time in with Rusty Wheels who broke in quite well before joining Michael’s kennels. The Mount Gambier win was a big thrill and I reckon we’ll have a bit more fun yet.”
Baker said both Niele and his wife Vicki had been really good and a great help.
Here For Glory brought up his fourth win – all at Tara Raceway – when leading all the way from box one in the Winning Post Supplies TG1-4W Stake (400 m) for a 2¼ length win over Saint Shell in 23.26 seconds.
The brindle dog, in Niele’s kennels since December, is owned by Ballarat-based Connor Clarke, who has been involved in a number of greyhounds but is probably better known in the harness racing industry.
By US sire Superior Panama out of the Victorian city-winning Alpha Venus, Here For Glory was purchased as a three-month-old pup by Clarke and reared in NSW by Peter Sims.
And Big Deb Osti won her way through to the Fast Forward final (400 m) when taking up the running down the back and defeating Marionvale Gal by 1½ lengths in 23.69 seconds.
The daughter of Bernardo and Eureka Osti also gave herself the chance of “beating the grader” given that the Fast Forward final is for 1-4 wins greyhounds and the heat win was her fifth success.
And with the Mount Gambier Anniversary Cup (512 m) currently being conducted, Niele took time out to reflect on the cup of 21 years ago when he was successful with Vindrea in a time of 30.70 seconds.
Vindrea, a daughter of Heading West and Killarney Cue, defeated Robert Halliday’s Extra Rule in the final. All told, she raced on 115 occasions for 18 wins and $11,000 in prize money.