THERE was a time when Ernest Bale was mixing it with some of the best greyhounds in the land – Dyna Double One, Bruce Tycoon, Moreira, Dundee Osprey and Dalgetty, to name but a few.
In fact, by the time leading Adelaide owners Tim Aloisi and Matt Lehman purchased the son of Turanza Bale x Cara Bale close to two years ago, the 18-race winner had collected more than $100,000 in prizemoney.
But six months after the sale, Ernest Bale was still sitting on the sidelines after sustaining a serious injury, trainer Barry Shepheard recalling he had suggested to the owners at the time that perhaps the black dog might benefit from a holiday in the country.
“He arrived here at Glencoe in early 2017 but it took a long time to get him right, what with trying to keep him fit and sound at the same time,” Shepheard said.
“Actually, it was not until June that he had his first race start at Tara Raceway.
“By November, while he was still racing alright, he had not won a race and the owners were looking to place him as a pet.
“As it turned out, that particular weekend Ernest Bale had run third so I said to Tim and Matt if they did not want to continue with him then I was prepared to carry on – a suggestion they were happy to go along with.”
By the time Ernest Bale, who will turn five in August, lined up from box six in last Friday’s 512-metre The Border Watch Stake at Tara Raceway’s time-graded meeting he had raced at the track on 17 occasions for seven minor placings.
A $14 chance, Ernest Bale was slowly away but gained a nice rails run through the first turn and from then on took the short way home, eventually running out a four length winner over early leader Derivation – his first win since March 31, 2016 at Sandown Park.
While Shepheard has certainly had bigger wins than this at Tara Raceway, he certainly found it hard to conceal his delight at Ernest Bale’s best of day 30.16 seconds win.
“I reckon that’s one of the most satisfying wins I have ever had,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rupanyup trainer Kath Brooks, who landed a treble at the November 17 time-graded meeting, went one better on Friday with a career-best four winners after Iroquois Sharman, Call Me Crazy, Stella Story and Annie Bell were successful.
And Amanda Darmanin’s Ruby’s Cheekstar brought up her second win for the month when the $18 chance defeated fellow outsider Mr Perfect by a head in the 400-metre Williams Crane Hire Stake in 23.61 seconds.
The win completed a good week for the Cape Hawke x Jamaican Ruby litter after Robert Walsh’s Ima Caravan at last Sunday’s meeting had scored an impressive four-and-a-half length win in the 600-metre Trackside Meats Mixed Stake over litter sister Ruby’s Willow in a quick 35.15 seconds.
They were timely wins for Jamaican Ruby, a 600 metre winner at The Meadows, who last month whelped three dogs and five bitches to Banjo Boy.
Owner celebrates birthday in style
SOUTH East owner Kerry Hawker celebrated her 58th birthday in style at Tara Raceway last Sunday when Banjo Queen took full advantage of box one to score a comfortable win over kennelmate Swift Limes in the Produce Store Mixed Stake over 400 metres in a personal best time of 23.06 seconds.
By Banjo Boy x Black Traminer, the blue bitch has now won nine races for Hawker and her husband John who purchased Banjo Queen “at a very reasonable price” from Banjo Boy’s owner Andrew Varasdi after she had won a couple of races in Canberra for Gunning trainer Jodie Lord.
Trained at Compton by Tracie Price, Banjo Queen, according to Kerry Hawker had enjoyed no luck at her past four starts.
“They’d all been unplaced but bad box draws and no luck in running certainly had not helped,” she said.
“However, after she came up with box one last Sunday I was quietly confident that she could break back into the winner’s circle and really make it a day to celebrate.”
Banjo Queen is a litter sister to the Lord-trained Banjo Shark who is owned by Varasdi and has raced on 36 occasions for 20 wins, six minor placings and $32,000 in prizemoney.
Earlier on Sunday, another Price-trained dog in Bekim Lucy’s brought up her sixth 600 metre win at Tara Raceway for local owners Willie Vossen and Michael Robinson.
By Bekim Bale out of five-time Angle Park winner Lucy’s Moment, Bekim Lucy’s displayed her customary lack of early pace before gradually wearing down Homer to win by a half length in 35.80 seconds.
The win followed Blazing Moment’s effort several nights’ earlier over 515 metres at Angle Park where the kennelmate and litter brother to Bekim Lucy’s was a comfortable winner at the city track’s main meeting of the week.
Meanwhile, Banjo Queen will step up to 512 metres – a distance she won over last September in 30.15 seconds – from box six in Sunday’s Trackside Meats Stake while Bekim Lucy’s will take on the Cryer brothers – Plugger and Bob – in the 732-metre Winmore Greyhound Kennels Stake.
And Price should get some sort of guide as to how Blazing Moment and kennel newcomer Signal Peak are travelling from a Mount Gambier Cup point of view when they clash with last week’s 29.54 seconds winner Lektra Stomp in the winningformula.net.au Open Stake over 512 metres.
