Tippa will fly the flag for the locals in Sunday’s Commercial Hotel Mount Gambier Cup final after winning the first heat. He is pictured defeating Saint Mac and Black Spring.
Allendale East trainer David Peckham found himself with the first Mount Gambier Cup finalist at Tara Raceway last Sunday when Tippa, after opening up a handy break down the back, hung on in a desperate finish to defeat Saint Mac by a head.
The winning time of 30.31 seconds – the same time recorded by Awesome Value when winning the first heat of the Produce Store Feature Maiden – had Peckham conceding that there hadn’t been too much to get excited about. Even less when Tippa drew box five in the final.
“He’d been under a bit of a cloud since he ran in the Murray Bridge Cup last month so he should now strip fitter in Sunday’s final. Hopefully he can give last year’s cup-winning owners Tim Aloisi and Matt Lehman something to cheer about at some stage of the race,” Peckham said.
“His best time at the track is 29.95 seconds so he’s certainly capable of running quicker than the time he recorded in his heat. However, with the other five heat winners all well under 30 seconds he’ll need to.
“For all that, though, this is my home town cup and I’m certainly more than happy to be in it.”
Peckham has never won the Mount Gambier Cup although since TAB racing commenced at Tara Raceway in 2012 he has had his share of finalists.
In 2012 Man Of Mystery reached the final, then in 2013 Baurna Paddy and Pure Ruler, followed by Striking Viking (2014), Bourne Again (2015), Thanks Captain (2017) and last year with Dyna Carnie.
It was back in 2008 that Nathan Wilson and his wife Kerri, along with his sister Melissa and her husband Ken Trowbridge, first became interested in greyhound racing.
One of their first greyhounds was a pup by Hallucinate out of a dam called Scarlett, who to be fair, never really set the world on fire when winning four low-grade races from 50-odd starts.
Their purchase did later hit the track, although once again to be fair, without really setting the world on fire. In fact, on debut at Angle Park in June 2010 the then-named Foot Luce was beaten by 28 lengths.
Nathan Wilson with his Mount Gambier Cup finalist Oakvale Style.
A couple of months later she did win her maiden at her second start at Angle Park in 30.63 seconds. Three unplaced runs followed at Angle Park, Gawler and Port Pirie before a final run at the now-closed northern track resulted in a 32 lengths defeat and signalled her retirement.
But the decision in 2012 to mate Foot Luce with Vapour Whirl turned out to be one of the best decisions the two couples ever made.
“This turned out to be an unbelievable litter. Winning more than half a million dollars, there were six city winners and multiple Group finalists,” the Pinnaroo-based Wilson said.
Foot Luce died after her first litter due to a snake bite but she did leave some very nice females, including Oakvale Destiny who won 17 races and close to $280,000 in stakemoney. And the line has subsequently thrown on.
Wilson was at Tara Raceway last Sunday for the Commercial Hotel Mount Gambier Cup (512 metres) with Oakvale Style, the daughter of Fernando Bale and Oakvale Destiny drawing box five in the final heat.
Lining up on the back of consecutive 515 metres wins at Angle Park, both in close to best of night times, Oakvale Style found herself with plenty to do down the back before working home well for a two lengths second behind Gypsy Bun in 29.67 seconds.
Second placegetters in the cup heats were lining up for a spot in the final. However, with only one spot in dispute it came down to the decimal point – Oakvale Style getting the nod and Nathan Wilson now hoping his 13-race winner can go one better on Sunday afternoon.
It’s now two years since Lara greyhound training team Deb Coleman and Rob Camilleri were at Tara Raceway with Slingshot Hammer for the Group Listed Mount Gambier Cup (512 metres).
Heat 4 – Zipping Zarbo (Ricky Coleman)
As luck would have it, he drew box one in the final after a best of day 29.45 seconds heat win. It’s now history, though, how the local youngster Galactic Athena ran down Slingshot Hammer in the shadows of the post to score a memorable win in what was then a race record 29.43 seconds.
The pair had Zipping Zarbo engaged in yesterday’s Mount Gambier Cup heats, the daughter of El Grand Senor and Zipping Abby boasting a record of 22 wins from 48 starts but having never seen the track and having to contend with box four.
A short-priced favourite in heat four, she looked to be in a bit of trouble early before railing through on the first turn and then taking the lead down the back straight.
From then on she was never in any danger of defeat, eventually running out a 6¾ lengths winner over Night To Burn in 29.54 seconds which ultimately was the second-fastest of the six heats.
And once again, as luck would have it, Coleman and Camilleri drew box one in a Mount Gambier Cup final, now hoping to go one better in this Sunday’s final.
Yesterday turned out to be a good day for the kennel with Coleman in NSW with Destruction and Overflow Lisa for heats of the Ladbrokes Nowra Puppy Classic (520 m) – both making it through to the final when running first and second in their respective heats.
Speaking from Lara this morning, Camilleri said he had been pleased with Zipping Zarbo’s effort in her Mount Gambier Cup heat considering she hadn’t previously seen the track.
Heat 2 – Renewed (Bec Romyn)
“It’s now a matter of whether she can nail the start and make full use of box one. If she can, then obviously she should be very hard to beat,” he said. “She’s very consistent, a pleasure to train and gives it all she’s got. And really, that’s all you can ask.”
Camilleri said the whole operation was a real team effort with Coleman attending to much of the daily maintenance and her son Ricky, handling Zipping Zarbo yesterday, travelling to many of the tracks with their runners.
“Actually, Ricky’s doing a great job and he’ll be back with her for the final. Now that he knows the way to Mount Gambier I’d like to utilise Tara Raceway on a more regular basis.”
Allendale East trainer David Peckham struck a blow for the locals when Tippa won the first heat. Leading all the way, the son of Barcia Bale x Irisize hung on to win by a head over Saint Mac in 30.31 seconds.
The black dog is raced by Tim Aloisi and Matt Lehman who won last year’s cup with the Aloisi-trained Sunset Milo. Peckham is still chasing his first cup win but after the running of the remaining five heats it appears Tippa’s task will not be all that easy, especially from box five.
At Tara Raceway for the first time – and suitably impressed – Two Wells trainer Bec Romyn, after a couple of time-graded wins with Stareena and Bella’s Night in February, took a step up in class yesterday when contesting the second heat of the cup with Renewed.
Having his first SA start after six wins in Victoria and another six in WA, the son of Kinloch Brae x Receptive handled himself pretty well considering it was his first look at the track.
Heat 3 – Fugacious (Jeff Guy)
Always on the pace, Renewed, a winner over 600 metres, matched motors with Numinous and Tiger Time down the back before railing through on Tiger Time turning for home and proving too strong when running out a 1¼ lengths winner in 29.72 seconds.
Romyn, who trained greyhounds in Victoria for 13 years prior to relocating to SA in July last year, currently has 25 in work and has done well since making the move.
Renewed’s former owner had suggested to Romyn that the brindle dog could be a good purchase for her to race SA. She then roped-in dad Peter as a part-owner. So far he has no complaints.
“Being a September 2017 whelping, we actually purchased him with veterans’ races in mind. Making the Mount Gambier Cup final is certainly a bonus although the final is going to be a tough race to win. But I certainly couldn’t be happier in the way he pulled up,” she said.
As things stand, Romyn rates her favourite dog as being Angry Trip. That could change come Sunday afternoon.
Laharum owner-trainer Jeff Guy knows only too well the frustrations of a Mount Gambier Cup final after finishing sixth in the 2018 final with his former terrific chaser Paraphernalia behind Xtreme Caution.
He was back yesterday for another try, this time with his speedy daughter of Fernando Bale x Dark Smiffy, Fugacious, who last month strung together a couple of quick 29.66 seconds and 29.70 seconds runs as a lead-up to the cup.
And she went right on with the job, away well from box seven (the same box she’s drawn in the final) before taking over the running from Silent Jacko down the back straight.
On the line she had a length to spare over Portland trainer Neville Lenehan’s Hostile Savage who stormed home to be beaten a length in 29.76 seconds, much to the disappointment of local owner Jim Collins.
Heat 6 – Gypsy Bun (Neville Lenhan)
Further disappointment was to follow for Collins when Hostile Savage (29.8175 seconds) was relegated to first reserve for the cup final after two other runners-up in Tiger Time (29.81 seconds) and Oakvale Style (29.8120 seconds) reached the final by the narrowest of margins.
However, Lenehan, acting as caretaker trainer for Andrea Dailly of Anakie, led in the final two heat winners – Fabriola Zad and Gypsy Bun both impressing when running times of 29.33 seconds and 29.67 seconds respectively.
Having his first run at the track, Fabriola Zad was quickly away from box eight and in front turning out of the first turn. From then on it was always going to be a matter of how far, the red fawn dog finishing full of running to defeat last year’s cup winner Sunset Milo by 8¼ lengths.
Raced by the Dailly Greyhound Farms Syndicate, the winner’s time was only three-quarters of a length outside Rockoon’s track record of 29.28 seconds established on July 1, 2018.
In the sixth and final heat, the Dailly team’s Gypsy Bun took the lead down the back before holding off a determined Oakvale Style to score by two lengths.
Meanwhile, for the first time in many years, a bookmaker will be fielding at Sunday’s Mount Gambier Cup final, along with the TAB.
For well-known local bookmaker Darren Guthridge, this will be the first time he has operated at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s cup meeting.
Guthridge is the son of former leading local greyhound trainer Kevin Guthridge who trained Cindy’s Range, runner-up to Tara Topar in the inaugural Mount Gambier Cup at Glenburnie in 1981.
Paul Cusack (left) and Levi and Wade Green pictured with Over Load, Little Tiger and Black Heel High after their treble at Tara Raceway on Thursday.
Parwan trainer Wade Green well remembers the first time he ever raced greyhounds at Tara Raceway. That was back on Friday, November 30, 2018 when he led in five winners – Janray Mazel Tov, Buzz Off Mumma, Conde, Nitro Heroine and Tron’s Empire.
And Green’s success at Mount Gambier’s time-graded meetings continued well into 2019 to the extent that he actually finished fifth in the Ian Badger Leading Trainer award with 37 winners.
Now back on the time-graded merry-go-round, he enjoyed another good day on Thursday when Over Load, Black Heel High and Little Tiger were successful.
Over Load brought up his second win from only three starts when leading all the way in the Bourne Kennels 1-4 Wins Stake (400 metres), and defeating Mystic Lane by two lengths in a personal best time of 23.46 seconds.
Purchased by Green for $500 prior to racing, the black two-year-old dog is by Over Limit out of Paua To Load, a granddaughter of Paua To Burn who won 28 races and more than $240,000 in stakemoney.
Black Heel High, a son of Worm Burner and Batty Allen, led all the way in the Winningformula.net.au 1-4 Wins Stake (400 m), eventually running out a 2½ lengths winner over American Mustard in 23.44 seconds.
The black dog commenced his racing career in Broken Hill, winning his maiden at his third start last September before finding his way to Green who has now won a further four races with the February 2019 whelping.
Little Tiger, purchased by Green from NSW after breaking-in, overcame a slow start to record an impressive win in the Gordon Refrigeration 1-4 Wins Stake (512 m).
A winner over 450 metres at Warrnambool last month, the red brindle dog didn’t find the front until approaching the home turn but ran home strongly to defeat the consistent Crackerjack Lach by three lengths in a best of day 30.08 seconds.
By Cosmic Rumble, Little Tiger is out of Little Nangar who won 24 races in NSW, including six at Wentworth Park. Green said he was now hopeful the May 2019 whelping would continue to improve.
“A lot of my racing is done at time-graded meetings and as such I don’t usually pay a lot for my purchases. But I liked the look of this one and as such outlaid a bit more for him.
“He finished the race off well today and, who knows, he could be destined for bigger and better things.”
Bringing over half-sisters Fly By Them and Just A Fidget and accompanying Green on the trip on Thursday was Paul Cusack, who trains in partnership with Donna Beasley at Mount Cottrell.
Cusack had last been successful at Tara Raceway back in April 2019 with White Arandt while Beasley’s last winner at the local track had been with Standing Bear in February of that year.
By Banjo Boy out of As It Goes – a winner of 12 races including 600 metres success at The Meadows and Angle Park – Fly By Them led all the way in the Commercial Hotel 5+ Wins Stake (400 m) to defeat Green’s Ship Of Fools by 3¼ lengths in a best of day 23.13 seconds.
By Fernando Bale, Just A Fidget settled in second spot in the Exchange Printers 1-4 Wins Stake (512 m) before finishing strongly to defeat King Smiley by 4¼ lengths in 30.15 seconds.
The win was the first for Just A Fidget since August last year when she had been successful at Bendigo and made for a successful return to Tara Raceway for Cusack and Beasley.
Donna Beasley’s Just A Fidget defeats King Smiley at Tara Raceway on Thursday.
