Saturday, June 22, 2019
Lewiston trainer Scott Feltus, at Mount Gambier’s Tara Raceway for the first time, took the training honours at last Thursday’s time-graded meeting when Twisted Missile, Nut Allergy and Bambalam Brandy were successful.
Twisted Missile is well-known to local followers after having won a heat and the final of the Sims Memorial Maiden (512 metres) in January this year for Portland trainer Nifty Lenehan.
A member of the handy Nitro Burst x Harper Seven litter, Twisted Missile ran right up to her short-priced quote when leading all the way from box five for a six length win over Loroupe in 30.00 seconds in the Winningformula.net.au Stake (512 m).
The diminutive 24½ kilogram black bitch was purchased last month by the Franco Farr Syndicate, managed by Port Augusta identity Kevin Harris, whose association with Feltus goes back to their footballing days.
Twisted Missile’s success brought up a winning hat-trick for her for the month of June after she had previously been successful at Gawler and Port Augusta – Thursday’s win also the first leg of a double for the syndicate.
A couple of races later, in the Gordon Refrigeration Stake (400 m), Nut Allergy completed the double for the 10-member syndicate, quickly finding the front from box five before running out a strong 2¾ length winner over My Mandara in a best of day 23.05 seconds.
And the win continued the good run connections have enjoyed with Nut Allergy since taking him over in late February 2018.
“The syndicate purchased him – after he had won four races at Angle Park and Gawler – from Ashley Furner of Elizabeth,” Feltus said. “He’s basically still a city class dog so he was probably well-graded in the race.”
By Lochinvar Marlow out of Ticket To Mars, Nut Allergy has now raced on 109 occasions for 19 wins and 35 minor placings, the black dog completing a good few days at Tara Raceway for the litter after Kentucky Sun had won impressively on the Sunday prior for Mick Bowerman.
Bambalam Brandy showed plenty of early pace from box seven in the final event, the Fairthorne Forestry Stake (400 m), before handing up the lead down the back to Lucy Jetstream.
But in the home straight Bambalam Brandy, raced by Feltus in partnership with Robbie Brodhurst, found plenty, eventually scoring by three-quarters of a length in 23.76 seconds and completing a big day for her trainer.
By Kinloch Brae x Mighty Lomar, the 33-start 4½-year-old black bitch last won at Port Augusta in November 2017, Feltus saying that she had all but been retired.
“Actually, Bambalam Brandy went into an enclosed run not long after that win due to a series of injuries and six-month seasonal issues. She then spent close to 18 months free galloping before I decided she might be worth one more try because she is a handy bitch.”
While in Mount Gambier last week Feltus, involved in the sport for five years, also took the opportunity of catching up with his father, Ken, who has followed in his son’s footsteps and is now also involved in greyhound racing at Tara Raceway.
A regular at Chinnery Park, a grass track situated in Port Augusta, Feltus jnr. will make the trip one last time this Saturday when the 1978-established Port Augusta Greyhound Racing Club will run its final meeting, the highlight being the Port Augusta Cup.
Meanwhile, Galactic Destiny, who resumed last week with an excellent third behind Ethics after a three-month break due to a shoulder problem, went right on with the job with a stunning win in the Produce Store Stake (512 m).
Fair enough, she looked well-placed in a time-graded event but the time told the story – 29.91 seconds – Robert Chuck and Steve Bartholomew’s 30 kilogram brindle daughter of Paddy Whacker x Galactic Rumball in front at the first turn before powering away to a 9¾ length win.
Litter sister Galactic Athena and litter brother Galactic Titan, who both last raced at Sandown Park a month ago, will run at Angle Park on Monday night in preparation for the Champion Puppy classic (515 m), heats of which will be run on Thursday, July 11 and the $10,710 final a week later.
However, staying put at Worrolong will be Galactic Destiny, perhaps feeling a little hard done by and wondering what a dog has to do to earn a trip to Adelaide.