CRYER’S Bob, a brilliant 12-and-a-quarter length winner of the 732 metre distance at Tara Raceway back in December, went right on with the job on Sunday with another big win at his second start over the stayers’ journey in the JB Irrigation Mixed Stake.
Coming into the race on the back of four reasonable runs over 600 metres, including a last start sixth behind dead-heaters Odd Boots and Xtreme Carnage on January 21, Cryer’s Bob’s biggest danger in the five-dog field appeared to be Kevin Finn’s Destini Montana, second over 725 metres at The Meadows last Wednesday.
But as it turned out, there were no real dangers after Cryer’s Bob railed through on Destini Montana turning for home the first time before grabbing the ascendancy going into the back straight and running away to a seven-and-three-quarter length win in 44.10 seconds.
By Spring Gun x Cryer’s Midget, the January 2015 brindle dog is owned by Margaret Cryer and trained by husband Tom with the pair now holding a strong hand in the staying ranks after the return of litter brother Cryer’s Plugger, also a 732 metre winner at Tara Raceway, to their Apsley kennels last week.
Speaking after the race, Tom Cryer said he would now give some consideration to perhaps trying Cryer’s Bob over 731 metres at Angle Park.
Meanwhile, later in the day The Border Watch Stake for grade five bitches over the 600 metre middle-distance journey turned out to be a keenly-contested affair with Stylish Affair defeating Chilly Kiss and Azumi Spice in 35.78 seconds.
Owned and trained at Portland by Nicole Stanley, Stylish Pursuit, a daughter of Mogambo x Butterfly Bling, broke a long run of outs, her last win being back in May last year.
She will now line up over 600 metres at The Meadows tomorrow afternoon.
The win was the first leg of a running double for Stanley, Derivation improving plenty to win the 512-metre Gordon Refrigeration Stake by six-and-a-half lengths in a personal best 30.26 seconds from Breemelia Swift and Dyna Beryl.
Odd Boots stomps opposition
LEKTRA Stomp’s return to Tara Raceway on Sunday afternoon added plenty of interest to the main 512 metre race of the day, the winningformula.net.au Mixed Stake, after the white and black greyhound had won earlier in the week over 485 metres at Horsham.
The winner of the 512-metre Newman McDonnell Memorial in a flying 29.69 seconds back in November, Lektra Stomp was a $1.80 chance from box three for Sunday’s race, trainer Phil Lenehan of Toolong looking for another forward showing at the local track with a view to the forthcoming 512-metre Group Listed Mount Gambier Cup.
But by the time the field had headed into the back straight the short-priced favourite was closer to last than first, Galactic Viper soon after railing through to take the lead from Banjo Queen while Odd Boots was unobtrusively making ground along the rails.
And there was still life in the ageing legs of Galactic Viper who led the field into the home straight before Odd Boots finished powerfully to hold out Lektra Stomp, who came from a mile back, to win by a head at the nice odds of $14.
By Cosmic Rumble x Guru Doll, Odd Boots gave Portland trainer Robert Halliday his fifth winner this year at Tara Raceway with the white dog having now won 15 races in a career that kicked off on November 4, 2016 with a win over Irka Jakit.
Lektra Stomp, having his first run at the track in close to two months, did not lose too many friends with his effort and looks one of the better cup hopes for Lenehan who will be out to emulate his father Brian who was successful in the 1993 Mount Gambier Cup with Immortal Flash.
In the end, the Barry Shepheard owned and trained Galactic Viper finished two-and-three-quarter lengths back in third spot at what was his 113th race start. Not a bad effort in a higher-grade race for a greyhound that is only eight days short of his fifth birthday.
Drought breaks for Clayfield
THE drought finally broke for long-time Glenroy trainer Richard Clayfield and Shore’s Last in the 512-metre Williams Crane Hire Stake.
For Clayfield it was his first win since December 15 while Shore’s Last, a well bred son of Kinloch Brae x On Shore last won at Tara Raceway in July last year.
A winner of three races at the track and distance, the brindle dog led all the way to defeat the consistent Goldie’s Run – nine minor placings from his past 11 starts – by three-quarters of a length with a further two-and-a-quarter lengths back to the luckless Xtreme Purpose in 30.39 seconds.
Speaking later, Clayfield said the win had been a real confidence-booster for a dog that had been sadly lacking in confidence.
“He had lost all confidence and then back in early November he fell in a 600 metre event which certainly did not help matters,” he said.
“Because he’d won here in 30.07 seconds I knew he could run a bit so I freshened him up before giving him a few trials.
“But, to be honest, the trials were nothing special so no one was more surprised than me when he came out today and won at $26.”
