It could be said that giveaway greyhound Tigger’s Run taught his rivals a lesson when scoring an upset win in the Commercial Hotel Grade 6 final over 600 metres at Tara Raceway last Sunday.
A $12 chance, the son of Cosmic Rumble and Mossy Girl was only fairly away from box three before settling in fourth spot mid-race behind the odds-on favourite In the Bug who was looking to lead all the way.
But turning for home and Tigger’s Run, a heat winner in 35.79 seconds the previous week, took up the running before finishing powerfully for a 3¼ length win over Iverson and Son Of Kimetto in a personal best time of 35.36 seconds.
Owned locally by Jarrad Williams and Millicent school teacher Dave Green – who also trains the brindle dog – the win continued the terrific run he’s experienced since obtaining his trainer’s licence in September. All told, he has now trained 10 winners at Tara Raceway.
First starter Just Alfie, raced locally by the Bartholomew family, was all the rage in the Hyland Fox Maiden Stake (400 m).
The February 2022 blue dog is by Hooked On Scotch out of the stayer Miss Bellawood who won 19 races for Gino Grgurovic of Lewiston. She’s a daughter of Worm Burner and another stayer in Miss Woods who won 26 races for Grgurovic.
Lining up from box eight, Just Alfie was always on the pace and eventually ran out a 1¼ length winner over Moonlight Sid in a time of 23.37 seconds.
However, according to Steve Bartholomew, had all things been equal then Just Alfie would never have found his way down to the south east as a pup.
“At the time we were rearing two young pups out at Worrolong. But one of them injured itself and was placed into GAP. We then needed another one to rear with the remaining pup so we contacted Gino and purchased one of Miss Bellawood’s litter that he had bred.”
Reserve runner Gladki opened his winning account in South Australia for Edenhope trainer Captain Abbott when gaining a start from box two, the Carlin & Gazzard Mixed Stake (400 m).
The February 2020 son of Fernando Bale and Go Lassie Go took up the lead down the back straight before running out a 1¾ length winner over kennelmate Cadillac Girl in 23.14 seconds.
Abbott said he had picked up the brindle dog in early September after he had been advertised for sale in Victoria for $5000.
“At the time he had won 17 Victorian provincial races, some in pretty quick times, and collected more than $50,000 in prize money so I thought there still might be a win or two left in him,” Abbott said.
“And after his recent close second over 342 metres at Angle Park I was reasonably confident that he would run a handy race on Sunday when he gained a start from box two.”
Abbott said Gladki would now be off the scene for several weeks following an operation for the removal of retained testicles (cryptorchidism).
Meanwhile, Myola Thunder’s win in last Thursday’s Williams Crane Hire TG1-4W Stake (305 m) wrapped up a good week for Purdeet owner-trainer Annette Kampman.
Bred, owned and trained by Kampman, Myola Thunder led all the way from box two when defeating Bulsara by 2¼ lengths in 17.64 seconds.
Whelped in November 2021, the son Aussie Infrared is out of Pocket Queen, a one-race winner over 660 metres at Bendigo and a litter sister to Dundee Calypso, a winner of 15 races and $124,000 in prize money.
A couple of days earlier, Kampman had been successful at Horsham with litter brother Myola Nick over 410 metres who brought up his fifth win from 12 starts – other wins being at Mount Gambier and Warrnambool.
And at yesterday’s Tara Raceway’s time-graded meeting she had Myola Queen, Myola Pocket and Myola Red Boy engaged. They are from Pocket Queen’s first litter – by Lightning Frank – and collectively have now raced on 293 occasions.
Kampman also had Myola Dawn engaged yesterday. By Black Bear Lee x Lie Knee Annie, she has raced on 122 occasions. She won the first 305 metre race conducted at Tara Raceway on Sunday, January 24, 2021.