Coonawarra-based Liam Sharam, at 13 years of age one of Greyhound Racing South Australia’s youngest licensed owner-attendants, once again found himself among the winners at last Sunday’s Category 2 Tara Raceway greyhound meeting.
But that’s what happens when you become associated with Mount Gambier’s leading trainer Tracie Price who not for the first time this year led in five winners.
And later, when we were looking to take a photograph of Price with Hooked On Love, winner of the second heat of the Tankman 600 Dual Challenge over 512 metres, Price promptly assigned the task to young Liam.
“He’s caught five winners for me today and certainly deserves recognition for the job he does. In fact, I reckon he’s the best catcher I’ve got.”
The Tankman, sponsored locally by Allen and Kim Cram, comprised three heats last Sunday with this week’s final to be run over 600 metres.
Hooked On Love, a son of Hooked On Scotch and Love Made Me, took the time honours with a run of 29.93 seconds on a steady track when defeating the Phil Lenehan trained Lektra Tinsel by a head.
This was a terrific race, Lenehan’s daughter of Dyna Chancer and Uptown Funk opening up a handy break early from box eight before being grabbed on the line.
Hooked On Love will go into the final with a recent second placing at Tara Raceway over 600 metres in a time of 35.28 seconds behind Blue Phoenix.
And 15-race winner Lektra Tinsel, whose last win at the track was over 600 metres in March in 35.12 seconds, should be better for last Sunday’s run.
Heat one of the Tankman kicked off with an upset when $26 chance Zombieland, owned and trained at Compton by Robert Chuck, finished strongly in the home straight and defeated Price’s Minh Ellie by three-quarters of a length in 30.05 seconds.
Both Zombieland and Minh Ellie are yet to race over 600 metres although the winner’s dam, Miss Bellawood won 19 races, many of those over the staying journey, while the runner-up is out of It’s A Bird, winner of the 2016 Bold Trease (715 m) at Sandown Park.
Top Cadillac turned in a big effort to win the final heat for Edenhope owner-trainer Cap Abbott. In trouble early from box eight, the son of Feral Franky and Establish finished the race off nicely when running down another Price runner in Wild Star.
A half-brother to former champion stayer Sir Truculent, Top Cadillac has twice won over 600 metres at Tara Raceway. Abbott is now hopeful he’ll run further.
Wild Star, a son of US sire Need My Moneynow, is yet to race over any further than 512 metres.
Also through to the final are the two fastest third placegetters – Compton Robbie (Robert Halliday) and Comet To Burn (Kyle Goodwin).
So, by the time the final race, the Todd’s Photographics Stake (512 m), had been run and won Liam Sharam had beaten a well-trodden path from the catching pen to the finish line.
And with Price lining up with three runners in the $3500 Tankman 600 Dual Challenge final (600 m) his catcher looks set for another busy day on Sunday.
He’ll also be hoping to catch his own winner come the June 2 meeting at Tara Raceway when Donny Rocks – raced and trained in partnership with Pat and Stuey (his mum and dad) – contests the Commersh Masters over 305 metres.