THE Easter meeting for the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club saw trainers and owners alike flock to Tara Raceway on Sunday.
Of the many who tried their greyhounds over the weekend, one stood out, as Tracie Price reaped plenty of rewards Sunday afternoon.
Another treble for leading local greyhound trainer Price – his third this year – was highlighted by wins in the two Easter Gifts over 600 metres and 400 metres.
Bekim Lucy’s, a winner of seven 600 metre races at the track, was always going to be hard to hold out in the Easter Gift 600 when she settled in second spot early in the race behind recent The Tankman 600 winner Chilly Kiss.
The consistent Chilly Kiss, trained at Allendale East by Connie Miller, certainly gave it her best shot with Bekim Lucy’s not taking over the running until approaching the home turn, but eventually going to the line strongly to win by one-and-three-quarter lengths in 35.46 seconds.
By Bekim Bale x Lucy’s Moment, the winner was also bred by Price who took over her training in August last year for local owners Willie Vossen and Michael Robinson.
“Tracie’s got her going really well at the moment,” Robinson said after the race.
“Initially, Willie and I were messing around with her but I think sending her out to Compton to be trained was probably one of our better decisions.”
To be fair, Price, with five of the seven runners, was always going to be hard to hold out in the Easter Gift 400.
And that is how it turned out, with his team finishing in the first five positions.
Gangster Of Love, a quick 23.07 seconds winner from box one the previous week, was one of Price’s outsiders in the Easter Gift after drawing the six although he did have a vacant box on his inside.
But Gangster Of Love, who had previously never won from any wider than box four, was always on the pace and in what was a rough-house affair, the black dog proved too strong in the run home, defeating Hopalong by one-and-a-quarter lengths in 23.46 seconds.
Owned by Western Australian father and son Haines Syndicate, Gangster Of Love – a winner of nine races – is by Magic Sprite out of Hey Sexy Lady, who started her racing career in WA before relocating to Mount Gambier where she finished with 13 wins.
Sandwiched in between Price’s two Easter Gift wins was an impressive performance from Shine On Shannah who led all the way in the 512-metre Produce Store Stake, eventually running out a six-and-a-quarter length winner over Penny Eagle in a best of day 29.96 seconds.
Bred and owned locally by Don Nunn, Shine On Shannah is an impressive-looking 31 kilogram bitch by Fabregas out of Shannah’s Star second litter – the first including top local chasers Shannah’s Might and Fear The Rascal who were also trained by Price.
Also enjoying a good day at Tara Raceway on Sunday were trainers Nicole Stanley of Portland and Phil Lenehan of Toolong.
Stanley, who had been successful at last week’s Tara Raceway time-graded non-penalty meeting with Joshy Wink Wink and Jan’s Star, won again with the pair after they made the step up to Sunday class.
Joshy Wink Wink, a 36 kilogram son of My Bro Fabio x Lollipop Bling (a litter sister to Walk Hard, sire of later winner Lektra Jenny), turned in an enormous run in the Gambier Vets Stake over 512 metres – last early from box five before finding the rails, although still giving tearaway leader Dimora Flash a huge start down the back.
In the run home, though, Joshy Wink Wink just kept coming along the rails, eventually grabbing the leader in the shadows of the post for a half length win in 30.27 seconds and so impressing race caller Ray Fewings that he could not help himself – “Joshy winked at the judge and got the decision.”
Jan’s Star continued the good recent run for sire Spud Regis when leading all the way from box five in the 400-metre Williams Crane Hire Stake, eventually defeating Chesca by a length with another three-quarters of a length back to a fast-finishing Xtreme Purpose in 23.34 seconds.
Lektra Brandy finally broke through for her first win for Lenehan when leading all the way in the 512-metre Laser Electrical Stake, hanging on to defeat the luckless Andrew’s Gift by a neck in 30.51 seconds.
By highly successful US sire KC And All out of Lektra Scarlett, a 715 metre Sandown Park winner, Lektra Brandy was going around for a fourteenth time on Sunday, having previously run eight minor placings.
Lenehan completed his double – his third this year at Tara Raceway – with Lektra Jenny who brought up her first win of the year and seventh overall when leading all the way to defeat Arolok Jax by two lengths in the 400-metre Gordon Refrigeration Stake in 23.24 seconds.
By Walk Hard out of Lektra Angie, Lektra Jenny is a litter sister to Tara Raceway 512 metre record holder Lektra Stomp.
Sunday’s double continued Lenehan’s successful run at the local track this year and sees him sitting in fifth spot on the leading trainers’ list behind Price, Stanley, Cap Abbott and Robert Halliday.
