SOUTH East-owned greyhound Shine On Shannah made an impressive start to her racing career when running the faster of the two 512 metre Royal Fashion Maiden heats at Tara Raceway on Sunday afternoon.
Weighing in at 31.5 kilograms, the sizeable bitch was away fairly from box six before taking over the running entering the back straight and eventually winning by three-and-three-quarter lengths in 30.49 seconds.
Whelped in January 2016, the daughter of Fabregas x Shannah’s Star is owned by Don Nunn – who also bred the black bitch – and trained at Compton by Tracie Price who has enjoyed plenty of success with Shannah’s Star’s stock.
For Nunn, it was a win that had come after a foot injury had threatened to put an end to Shine On Shannah’s racing career before it even started.
“In the end we opted to have a toe removed,” he said.
“This certainly was not a cheap procedure but today’s win certainly helps in some small way to vindicate our decision.”
The win was the culmination of a good weekend for Nunn after Shine On Shannah’s litter brother Shannah’s Gift – trained for him by Gary Hunt of Cudgee – opened his winning account at his second race start in a 400 metre event at Geelong on Friday night.
The weekend winners are out of Shannah’s Star’s second and final litter, her first – by Fear Zafonic – producing the Price-trained 2015 Christmas Cup winner Fear The Rascal as well as another of his prolific winners in Shannah’s Might who qualified for this year’s Williams Crane Hire Christmas Cup final when running third to Fiorelli Rose and Homer in a heat on Sunday.
Shannah’s Star, who won on debut over 400 metres at Tara Raceway six years ago, recently died of a spider bite.
The 36 kilogram Lektra Menzel ran right up to his handy recent form at Horsham when leading all the way from box five to win the first heat of the Royal Fashion by six lengths in 30.56 seconds for Toolong trainer Phil Lenehan.
Also bred by Lenehan, the son of My Bro Fabio x Lektra Bianca had performed well in a Horsham maiden series when placed behind smart youngsters Emerald Rainbow and Fernando Drums.
Whelped in November 2015, the black dog was having only his sixth race start on Sunday after suffering a setback at breaking-in.
“He copped a bit of a setback at breaking-in so he’s a bit behind a couple of his littermates in Lektra Elsa and Lektra Guiseppe,” Lenehan said.
“Actually, I did not think the run was too bad today because it was his first time over the 512 metre journey and his first look at the track.
“I reckon there should be some improvement in him for the final.”
Edenhope trainer Cap Abbott has Garnet, Shaniqua and Sheza Renegade through to the final and will look to add to his list of Royal Fashion Maiden winners – Mundurra Express successful in 2009 and Manila Express in 2013.
SCORPION’S all-the-way win in the second heat of the 400-metre Christmas Challenge not only brought up a hat-trick of wins but also kept in him contention for the Greyhound of the Year as well as rounding off a successful day for Worrolong husband and wife training team Steve and Lee Bartholomew.
Earlier in the day, Steve Bartholomew had been successful with Bluestone, who led all the way in the 400-metre ClassicBet Stake much to the delight of local part-owner Jeff Cranage who does not miss too many of the blue dog’s runs at Tara Raceway.
By Kalden Komoto x Frantic Fusion, Bluestone – racing consistently but out of the winner’s list since May – never gave Cranage too many worries, running out a six-and-three-quarter length winner over Dean Fennell’s pair of Stampy Longnose and Surfing Moment in 23.29 seconds.
Bartholomew landed his first double this year when promising January 2016 youngster Galactic Panther, beautifully boxed in the eight, was in front going out of the first turn before powering away to a seven length win in the 512-metre South Eastern Hotel Stake in a quick 30.01 seconds.
Owned by Robert Chuck of Moorak, Galactic Panther, a son of Milldean Panther x Galactic Rumball, was having his first run over the distance since late September with connections now setting their sights on February’s 512-metre Peter Rocket Summer Classic.
Lee Bartholomew, who trained Just Humphrey, the 2013 Greyhound of the Year, has just three meetings left for Scorpion to peg back Fiorelli Rose and Baz’s Moment in this year’s award.
Scorpion, a son of Superman and this year’s leading brood bitch Which Class, has now won 11 races at Tara Raceway this year – no greyhound has won more.
However, he is still giving the leaders six points and three points respectively with Fiorelli Rose to tackle the Williams Crane Hire Christmas Cup final this Sunday while Scorpion and Baz’s Moment are set to clash in the Christmas Challenge final.
Veteran chaser Future Past, trained at Moyston by Peter Franklin who turned up at Tara Raceway on Sunday with a spring in his step, made his way through to the Christmas Challenge final when running a top race to finish second to Scorpion in a quick 23.07 seconds.
Franklin had been at Ballarat the night before with his star stayer McIvor Verna who stormed home to grab victory in the last bound in a feature 660 metre event, picking up a cool $6000 for connections.
