Thursday, April 18, 2019
For Brendan Bunworth – back in the game after a break of more than four years – Wednesday’s win by Five Times Table in the Produce Store Stake (400 metres) at Tara Raceway gave the Penshurst trainer his third individual success at the track this year.
Purchased from Lake Bolac owner Kevin Breen in February after having won three races at Geelong and Bendigo, Five Times Table gave first-time owners, the 10-member Basstaccms Syndicate of Casterton their first winner.
“I had been formerly based at Casterton so when they saw where I was training greyhounds again they were constantly on the phone to see whether I could find a dog for them and wanted me to train it,” Bunworth said.
“I told the boys it could take a few months to find what we were looking for but really all they wanted was a dog to race as quickly as possible so when Five Times Table came on the market they were happy to settle for him even though he is a short-courser.”
Not that there was too much wrong with Five Times Table’s breeding, his sire being the Irish-bred Makeshift and the dam Chasin The Dream who in an earlier litter by Barcia Bale had produced Dublin Bull, a winner of 21 races, including the Group 2 Summer Distance Plate (720 m) at Wentworth Park, for stakemoney of $156,000.
After five starts for Bunworth, which had resulted in three minor placings, the black dog lined up from box eight on Wednesday as a solid $4.80 second favourite behind Lucy’s Quest who was having her first start at the track for leading trainer David Peckham.
But it was Five Times Table who quickly found the front and eventually held out Lucy’s Quest – a daughter of the Group-winning stayer Lucy Wires who incidentally finished her career at Tara Raceway back in 2014 with a second behind Manila Express over 600 metres – to win by a neck in 23.79 seconds.
For Damien Gill, Neale Guthrie and Tubby Harvey – three members of the Basstaccms Syndicate who were on course – this was a win they won’t forget in a hurry.
And for Bunworth, it was a case of the winners continuing to multiply, Five Times Table now joining Jimary Siesta and Our Gal Livy in what has been a satisfying return to the sport for the 35-year-old teacher’s aide.