Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club

For the Lara training team of Deb Coleman and Rob Camilleri it was a case of third time lucky in the Group Listed Commercial Hotel Mount Gambier Cup (512 metres) after Zipping Zarbo was successful at Tara Raceway yesterday.

Two years ago their odds-on favourite in the cup, Slingshot Hammer, was a desperately close second. Then, last year’s winner, Sunset Milo, was transferred from their Lara kennels just prior to the cup to Adelaide owner Tim Aloisi in order to overcome border restrictions.

After an impressive heat win, Zipping Zarbo lined up from box one as a $1.90 favourite. And she led all the way to defeat a determined Renewed, trained at Two Wells by Bec Romyn, by a length in 29.56 seconds.

A further length back in third spot was Fabriola Zad who turned in a big run for Portland trainer Nifty Lenehan who was looking to emulate his father Brian, the cup-winning trainer in 1993 of Immortal Flash.

Bred and raced by the Hallinan family of Clergate in NSW, Zipping Zarbo was handled with aplomb by 24-year-old Ricky Coleman who did his mother and step-father proud.

And he was full of praise for the three-year-old red fawn daughter of El Grand Senor and Zipping Abby.

“She’s been with us since pre-training and has always tried her heart out,” he said. “Winning the cup was certainly a big thrill and we’re now looking to race here in Mount Gambier on a more regular basis.”

Zipping Zarbo has now raced on 50 occasions for 24 wins, 14 minor placings and $94,000 in stakemoney.

---

The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club attracted one of its largest crowds in a number of years to Tara Raceway for Sunday’s Group Listed Mount Gambier Cup, sponsored by the Commercial Hotel.

Patrons were once again back at the track and lining the fence to witness the club’s major race, run continuously since 1981 when won by Tara Topar at Mount Gambier’s original greyhound track, situated inside the thoroughbred race track out at Glenburnie.

For the first time at Tara Raceway, the TAB and a bookmaker operated side by side, Darren Guthridge reporting brisk business and delighted to have been fielding at a Mount Gambier Cup meeting.

And for the first time in a while there were kids back in the playground.

Also taking in the action was Tony Pasin, Federal Member for Barker, who found himself called upon to conduct a much-belated kennel house opening ceremony after Covid-19 had put paid to the original opening.

But it was an announcement on course by Greyhound Racing SA Chairman Grantley Stevens that set the scene for a great Mount Gambier Cup day. An announcement of much significance as far as Mount Gambier greyhound racing is concerned.

The forerunner to this announcement had been back in January when the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club executive committee, headed by Jason Newman, put together an extensive proposal relating to Category 2 prizemoney for Sunday meetings at Tara Raceway.

So when the chairman announced that GRSA had agreed to the MGGRC’s Sunday meetings taking on Category 2 status as from July 1 it was clearly a vote of confidence in Mount Gambier greyhound racing.

What the change from Category 3 to Category 2 means is a substantial prizemoney increase and will place the club on the same level as Gawler and Murray Bridge.

As an example, the winner of a low-grade race (grade six) over 512 metres currently receives $615. From July 1, winners of the same grade and distance will collect $990. This rises proportionately with the class of race. And SA-bred maiden winners over 512 metres will receive close to $2000.

Also on track for yesterday’s cup was inaugural club secretary, 84-year-old Colin Potter. He would have noticed a few changes since that night back on September 14, 1972 when a public meeting was held in the Mount Gambier City Hall to form the South East Greyhound Racing Club.

---

Mount Moriac trainer Kevin Ward still remembers the day he got the call asking if he was interested in any of a litter by Shima Bar out of Nova Heart that had just been broken-in but were considered “not up to scratch”.

He took four of the litter as giveaways, also still remembering the day he headed to Geelong with one of the brindle dogs – later to race as Tiger Time – for his first trial after having been broken-in.

“He didn’t go a yard,” Ward recalled on Thursday at Tara Raceway after having trained a running treble with Ice Cream Lady, Josie’s Call and Don’s Scolari.

“So I gave him a bit of bullring work, then took him to Ballarat where he trialled very quickly before kicking off his racing career in May last year.”

And it’s been an eventful time for Ward and Tiger Time, the November 2018 whelping boasting some quick times among his 13 wins from 37 starts which have netted more than $32,000 in stakemoney.

In fact, such was his form that several months ago Ward received an offer of $100,000 for Tiger Time.

“I knocked the offer back,” he said. “I’m having plenty of fun with him and sometimes it’s not always about the money. Besides, that amount of money wouldn’t really change my life all that much.”

Tiger Time lined up as an odds-on favourite from box eight in heat two of last Sunday’s Commercial Hotel Mount Gambier Cup (512 metres), his last win having come in March at Horsham in a Free For All over 410 metres.

And when he took over the running down the back from Numinous and Renewed he looked set to ensure a place in the final. However, former WA chaser Renewed finished powerfully along the rails in the home straight to grab a 1¼ lengths win in 29.72 seconds for Two Wells trainer Bec Romyn.

But, after the six heats had been decided and the box draw conducted, Tiger Time was into the final – from box eight again – on the strength of being one of the two fastest seconds. However, as far as the final was concerned, Ward wasn’t getting too excited.

“Look, he’s well drawn in box eight but to be honest I still don’t believe that he’s reached his full potential. While he’s certainly going to need luck in running it’s great to reach the final at the track where I do so much racing.”

Last Sunday turned out to be a good day for Ward. Another member of that litter of four, Tiger’s Twenty, brought up his eighth win and $17,000 in stakemoney when successful at Sandown Park over 515 metres in 29.87 seconds.

Meanwhile, Killarney trainer Kevin Mugavin will be looking to go one better in the Produce Store Feature Maiden final (512 m) when Awesome Value lines up in box five in tomorrow’s final.

It’s now two years ago that Mugavin won a heat of the feature maiden with Spring Value in 30.06 seconds before finishing second to Galactic Titan in the final.

Having his second race start, the son of Fernando Bale x Cloona Lass took the lead from first starter Paradise Five down the back straight before hanging on in the run home to win by a half-length in 30.31 seconds.

Speaking after the race, Mugavin said he had been happy enough with Awesome Value’s effort.

“What I do like about the litter is that it chases and tries,” he said. “And as far as Sunday’s final is concerned, I reckon he should improve a bit.”

The final looks to be a two-dog race with the David Peckham trained Paradise Five, another of the Worm Burner x Thanks Tubby litter, having drawn box one in the final and not losing too many friends when finishing strongly in last week’s heat.

Saint Eilish, after five consecutive minor placings, finally broke through for her first win for Glencoe trainer Dean Fennell when finishing too strongly for Zoie Magic and Pay The Rent in a much slower 30.98 seconds.

---

Veteran chaser Black Spring, after missing out by only three-quarters of a length on a spot in this year’s Mount Gambier Cup final, will attempt to win his third successive cup day Tankman 600 at Tara Raceway on Sunday afternoon.

Owned and trained at Edenhope by Captain Abbott, Black Spring is a quite remarkable story.

Whelped in November 2016, the son of Spring Gun x Lektra Scarlett was a giveaway prior to racing. On Sunday he will line up for his 130th start and be chasing his 25th win. In between all of this he won Mount Gambier’s 2019 Greyhound of the Year.

His first Tankman 600 win came in 2019 when he defeated Bereluke and Giant Bale in 35.49 seconds. Last year, at the time in Tracie Price’s Compton kennels due to border restrictions, Black Spring figured in a terrific race when defeating Close Your Eyes and Boom Down by a narrow margin in 35.34 seconds.

However, this year’s Tankman 600 is certainly the strongest ever with Black Spring, now a rising five-year-old, having to take on a seasoned field of middle-distance performers from box four.

Maximum Refusal and Oakvale Impact both have solid Angle Park 600 metres form, with the latter having a good look at Tara Raceway last Sunday when running second over the distance.

And Golly Gumdrops won last month’s Michelle Niele Memorial final (600 m) while Perseverance, last year’s Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year, has won five from nine at the track and distance.

Portland trainer Nifty Lenehan opted for the Tankman 600 in preference to the Exchange Printers Cup Consolation (512 m) with the locally-owned Hostile Savage who is also first reserve in the cup final.

Hostile Savage is owned by Jim Collins who by chance back in early 2018 came across an advertisement on the club’s notice board looking to sell a litter of Hostile x Sweet Savage pups.

Collins took advantage of a dog and bitch combo offer for $2000 and later entrusted their rearing to Nicole Stanley and Lenehan.

Hostile Savage has won four races and been placed over middle distances at Mount Gambier, Ballarat and Warrnambool and looks a good chance in the Tankman 600. However, connections are probably still hoping for a last minute call-up for the cup.

With Yenderra Evie already scratched from Sunday’s Tankman 600, either Close Your Eyes or Freda Rocks will gain a start. The latter will be hard to beat if successful in the ballot after middle distance wins of 11 lengths and 14 lengths respectively this year at The Meadows and Sale.

---