Warracknabeal owner-trainer Ian Bibby was back at Tara Raceway last Thursday with his rising six-year-old Crymelon Comet who went around in the Trackside Pet MeatsTG5+W Stake (400 metres) at what was start number 152.

And he showed there was still life in the old dog yet when finishing too strongly for the early leader Kerry’s Cadillac and scoring a 2½ length win in 23.73 seconds.

The win, which took his prize money earnings to $57,000, was Crymelon Comet’s 14th but according to Bibby the best was never seen of the son of Hawk Alone and Crymelon Holly.

“He’d recorded a quick 26.87 seconds at Horsham over 485 metres, won a heat of the Vic Bred Maiden at Ballarat and been placed at Sandown Park and The Meadows. But at Ballarat back in February 2023 it all fell apart,” he said.

“We’d taken him there to give him a run prior to the heats of the Horsham Cup. And while he finished unplaced we had been more than happy with the effort. Unfortunately he broke a leg in the catching pen and was off the scene for six months.

“Needless to say, his first win back, which was another three months later at Horsham, was a terrific thrill for us to see him once again among the winners. Actually, he’s been a really good mate to me.”

And recently Crymelon Comet sired his first litter – four dogs and four bitches – out of 11-race winner Butternut, a daughter of David Bale and Pah Leeze and now also based at Warracknabeal.

Racing kicked off last Thursday with the Commercial Hotel Maiden Stake (400 m) and it was a case of Cheesy doing it easy for Mount Cottrell owner-trainer Paul Cusack.

By Feral Franky out of Nice And Easy, Cheesy Easy had made her racing debut at Tara Raceway on Boxing Day when running a 6½ length second to Compton Layla over 400 metres in 23.42 seconds.

Cheesy Easy is owned by Jason Portelli who had trained Nice And Easy for the majority of her racing career which resulted in nine wins on Victorian tracks for $20,000 in prize money.

And last week’s winner found plenty on her first-up effort for Cusack when leading all the way from box two for a 4½ length win over kennelmate Nora’s Nova in 23.52 seconds.

Cusack, who picked up Nora’s Nova as a giveaway from Joe Borg late last year, said he was now looking to give the daughter of Feral Franky and Lady Pandora a try over the 600 metre journey.

And later in the day, Cusack made it a training double when Jolly Encounter, after settling in second spot early, took up the running off the back before finishing strongly for a 3¼ length win over Hotfoot Lump in 23.74 seconds.

As it turned out, it was Cusack’s best day at Mount Gambier since July 18 last year when he had landed a treble with Runway, Jet Easy and Quantum’s Dream. He won his first race at Tara Raceway with Gin Lee’s Pride in November 2018.