Sunday, July 29, 2018
Trainers Richard Boehm and Sandra Elmes, based in the Victorian goldfields town of Dunolly, landed their first winners at Tara Raceway when Avatar Blaze and Serendipity Gold were successful at Friday’s time-graded meeting.
Avatar Blaze, a giveaway greyhound that had previously won at Horsham and Shepparton for Boehm, looked to have the leaders covered a fair way out in the Trackside Meats Stake (400 metres) before finishing strongly in the home straight for a two length win in 23.66 seconds.
By US sire KC And All, the white and fawn dog is out of maiden bitch Sabroni Mist whose dam, Miss Elly Mint, won 44 races and close to $200,000 in stakemoney.
The Elmes-trained Serendipity Gold opened his winning account at the track with a dominant performance in the Klaassens Contractors Stake (512 m), taking the lead going out of the first turn before racing away to 4¼ length win in a quick 30.12 seconds.
The winner, which has now won eight races, is owned by Boehm who also bred the son of Kinloch Brae and Helga – a bitch he won five races with.
Elmes and Boehm also combined to run second in the South Eastern Hotel Stake (600 m) with outsider Blondy Two who went into the race as a maiden and with six third placings from 26 starts.
A give away after initially displaying a reluctance to chase the lure, the fawn bitch was well off the pace mid-race but made up plenty of ground in the run home to go down to Last Princess by only three-quarters of a length in 35.71 seconds.
The SA-bred daughter of Spring Gun x As It Goes, Blondy Two is a litter sister to He’s Loaded, a winner of 10 races, along with 23 minor placings, for $74,000 in stakemoney.
Training greyhounds for nine years, Elmes and Boehm’s success came at their third trip to Mount Gambier.
“I reckon Tara Raceway is greyhound racing’s best kept secret,” Boehm said. “It’s a laid-back atmosphere with friendly people, while the track and surroundings are great. For sure, we will continue to race here.”
George Regis, in Mount Gambier with his owners Noel and Heather Perry since June, opened his SA winning account in 23.27 seconds when too strong for Quedos and Sweet Spud in the Gambier Vets Stake (400 m).
Purchased as a pup by the Perrys, the win continued Noel Perry’s successful introduction to the training ranks, George Regis previously being based in Victoria where he won four races at Geelong and Ballarat.
By the Group 1-winning Spud Regis out of Sky Fly High, a winner of 18 races and $68,000 in stakemoney, the black and white dog was also originally part-owned by Heather Perry’s brother, Brian Treloar, who raced the sire.
But it hasn’t been all plain sailing for George Regis, as Heather Perry pointed out after Friday’s win.
“There have been toe issues with him. In fact, he’s had a toe removed and we’re now hoping that he can hold up to the rigours of racing. So far, though, he’s been handling himself pretty well.”
In late June, Ima Maldini put the writing on the wall for a win at Tara Raceway when leading for a long way before just going down to Ginger Road over 512 metres.
And Coleraine trainer Sindy Colpoys was back on Friday with Ima Maldini, the black bitch leading all the way from box six in the Produce Store Stake (512 m) to score by 1¾ lengths in 30.20 seconds.
Colpoys races the winner in partnership with her son Michael Kemp, the family successful at Tara Raceway with litter brother Villa Maldini – husband Steve the trainer on that occasion but currently recovering from a couple of knee replacements – at the end of last year.
By Dyna Villa out of Mizzy Maldini, Ima Maldini is one of a litter of 11, whelped in April 2016, which so far has produced nine individual winners.
Tracie Price’s treble on Friday included wins by litter brothers Knocka’s Moment and Smart Marty, the litter of five by Knocka Norris x Who’s Doing What all now having won.
Knocka’s Moment, having his first race start, was an impressive seven length winner of the Laser Electrical Maiden Stake (400 m) while Smart Marty led all the way from box six in the Gordon Refrigeration Stake (400 m) to defeat a fast finishing Azumi Twister in a best of day 23.19 seconds.
The litter double saw Who’s Doing What move two wins clear of Azumi Touch (the dam of Azumi Twister) in the leading dams’ list.