Locally trained greyhound Wild Banker will be chasing his third feature race win this year after grabbing a spot in next week’s SA Country Cup final (530 metres) which will be run at Angle Park as a supporting event to the Group 1 Adelaide Cup.

Trained at Compton by Tracie Price, Wild Banker, a son of US sire Need My Moneynow and Wild Marilyn, won Mount Gambier’s Summer Classic (512 m) in January and the SA Straight Track Championship (350 m) at Murray Bridge in May.

With only one 512 metre Country Cup heat being run at Tara Raceway last Sunday the first two placegetters – Royal Nangar and Wild Banker – will now represent the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club in the $8500 final.

Box one runner Wild Banker couldn’t match Royal Nangar’s early pace from out wide but just kept coming, eventually going down by a half head in 29.74 seconds.

For Price, it will now be a case of chasing a second SA Country Cup after Moorak Hope won a revamped format of the long-running event in 2013 at Gawler over 531 metres for Moorak owner Allan Holmes.

And while Wild Banker has won 14 races this year at Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge and Warrnambool, he has raced only once at Angle Park – back at the end of May when running fourth behind Doonan, a winner of 31 races and $151,000 in prize money.

Interestingly, Doonan failed to make the Country Cup final when running second in a heat at Murray Bridge. Trainer Ben Rawlings then opted to run the black dog last Sunday night at Gawler and he’s now through to the Angle Park final after winning the first heat.

Price said that the Tony Longe owned Wild Banker – a winner of 23 races from 43 starts and more than $50,000 in prize money – would now trial at Angle Park this week in readiness for the SA Country Cup final.

“He won’t be trialling over 530 metres but given that he hasn’t seen much of the track, another look there certainly won’t do his final chances any harm.”

Royal Nangar had previously raced at Tara Raceway. Gawler West trainer Tracey Amos back in April had brought down the son of Shima Shine and Nangar Diva for the Cadillac Racing Mount Gambier Cup (512 m).

And the blue dog had gone alright – a one length third behind Purified in a heat and a three length second to Kai Bale in the Cup Consolation.

A couple of months ago Adelaide owner Adrian Kafkoudas and Cody Stenhouse of Broken Hill took over the ownership of Royal Nangar and Jack Trengove of Two Wells the training.

He went into last Sunday’s race on the back of two wins up the straight at Murray Bridge and a 400 metre win at Gawler. As well as perhaps not being all that well suited by a wide draw and Wild Banker sitting up in box one.

Kafkoudas, who made the trip down to Mount Gambier with Trengove, couldn’t contain his excitement when the photo finish revealed the narrow margin in favour of Royal Nangar.

Involved in the sport a number of years ago, Kafkoudas returned a couple of years back and regularly helps out Trengove at his kennels.

Royal Nangar, a son of Shima Shine and Nangar Diva, is a winner of 17 races and $60,000 in prize money. And he’ll be his trainer’s first SA Country Cup runner.

“He’s never raced over 530 metres at Angle Park so I’ll probably give him a look prior to the final,” Trengove said. “And while he won on Sunday from box eight I’m really hoping for an inside draw with him in the final.”

Meanwhile, it was something of a family affair at Tara Raceway last Sunday with father and daughter and mother and son leading in winners.

Steve Bartholomew was successful with Knight Vader, the son of Blazin Wildfire x Galactic Athena always on the pace and defeating Lust To Burn by a length in 23.30 seconds in the Metal Worx Stake (400 m).

Daughter Elysia then won with Unique Pearl who led all the way in the Commercial Hotel Open Stake (400 m) for a three-quarter of a length win over Mister Cadillac in 23.02 seconds.

In the Williams Crane Hire Stake (400 m), Hamilton-based Lorraine Goodwin’s Red To Burn was too strong for Solid Ground, winning by two lengths in 23.30 seconds.

And son Kyle’s You Done impressed in the Cadillac Racing Mixed Stake (512 m) with a solid win over former Queensland chaser Amendola by 3½ lengths in 29.81 seconds.