The win of Galactic Nemesis in last Sunday’s Cadillac Racing Autumn Classic (512 metres) at Tara Raceway continued Compton owner Robert Chuck’s successful run in feature events over the past 10 years.
It was back in 2015 at Angle Park where the Dave Geall trained Galactic Viper won the Group 3 Howard Ashton SA-bred Special Event for Chuck, who bred and owned the son of Velocette x Magic Elite.
And Magic Elite, who won six races over 512 metres at Tara Raceway between 2008 and 2009, was by Elite State out of Killarney Magic – a line that also appears in Galactic Nemesis’s pedigree.
It’s also a line that appeared in Galactic Panther’s pedigree. By Milldean Panther out of Galactic Rumball, the Panther’s clashes with Dynamite Danger in the 2018 Summer Classic were really memorable.
Trained at Worrolong by Steve Bartholomew for Chuck, only a nostril separated the pair in a heat of the classic, with Dynamite Danger gaining the decision.
But in the final a week later the decision went the other way with about the same margin between the pair in a time of 29.97 seconds.
Then in 2019 Galactic Panther’s half-sister Galactic Athena, also trained by Bartholomew for Chuck, made it through to the final of the Mount Gambier Cup at only her sixth race start and at 18 months of age.
This was one of the great Mount Gambier Cups with the daughter of Paddy Whacker defeating race favourite Slingshot Hammer by a half-length in 29.43 seconds.
Last Sunday’s Cadillac Racing Autumn Classic has replaced the Summer Classic which was first run in 2015. The age restriction hasn’t changed but it is now being run several months later in a bid to attract more greyhounds.
And it seemed to work pretty well with four heats being run the previous week. A keenly contested final followed with connections chasing prize money of $10,000, second in value only to the Mount Gambier Cup.
By Blue Moon Rising, a staying greyhound of some repute, Galactic Nemesis is out of Galactic Athena – that line going back to 2005 when Elite State and Killarney Magic were mated.
Trained for Chuck by Lauren Harris, who operates out of Finniss in partnership with Ryan Tugwell, Galactic Nemesis was in front rounding the first turn and never headed when defeating Vixen Force by two lengths with a half head to High Cube in third spot in a time of 29.71 seconds.
Both minor placegetters also ran terrific races for Mortlake trainer Peter Crawley and Robert Halliday of Portland.
