A DECISION in August last year by local owners Willie Vossen and Michael Robinson to entrust their greyhound Bekim Lucy’s with leading trainer Tracie Price of Compton paid dividends at Angle Park’s City A meeting last Thursday night.
Making the trip to Adelaide on the back of two Tara Raceway 600 metre wins and a last start success over 732 metres, Bekim Lucy’s was one of the outsiders at $21 despite drawing box one in the Only At The Dogs Free For All over 731 metres.
While the black bitch quickly settled in second place she was still spotting the pacemaker Ashom Monelli many lengths down the back straight although by the time the leader turned for home Bekim Lucy’s was poised to make a race of it.
And make a race of it she did, eventually wearing down the leader to win by a nose in 43.42 seconds, giving her ecstatic owners their first city success and the first prize of $2940.
By Bekim Bale x Lucy’s Moment, Bekim Lucy’s was purchased as a three-month-old pup from Price, who had bred the litter, and then reared at Vossen’s Mil Lel property.
“We actually started off training her,” Robinson recalled this morning.
“And while she won a couple of races for us at Tara Raceway, we were pretty keen to get her into Tracie’s hands because we knew she could run a bit and also he was in a position to travel with her.”
Bekim Lucy’s will now return to Angle Park on Thursday night for the $4990 heats of the SA Distance Championship, with connections hoping to qualify for the $14,500 final which will be run on April 26.
Also making the trip to Angle Park for the Distance Championship will be Cryer’s Plugger, a brilliant all-the-way winner of the South Eastern Hotel Mixed Stake over 600 metres in 35.45 seconds at Tara Raceway on Sunday.
Cryer’s Plugger, who defeated Bekim Lucy’s over 732 metres in a quick 43.64 seconds last month, is trained at Apsley by Tom Cryer, the veteran mentor opting to place the son of Spring Gun x Cryer’s Midget in the hands of Price for the Adelaide series.
Meanwhile, Solitary Lad, one of the better higher-grade greyhounds going around Tara Raceway but struggling to find a race at the local track at the moment, lined up from box two in a 485 metre grade five event at Horsham last Thursday afternoon.
Trained for Ann Sinnott by Richard Clayfield of Glenroy, the son of Lonesome Cry x Up And Away quickly found the front and never really looked in any danger, eventually running out a 1½ length winner over Arcup Usain in 27.60 seconds.
Clayfield’s last win at Horsham was back in June 2015 when the Sinnott-owned Upset Boy, also out of Up And Away but by Velocette, won over 570 metres.
And Springvale Alysa wrapped up a couple of good days for Kongorong trainer John Little when winning the opening race at Tara Raceway on Sunday, the 412-metre Laser Electrical Maiden Stake.
On Friday, Little had been at Strathalbyn where Bungaloo Ruby quickly found the front in a grade six 319 metre dash and then held out Tarwyn Park to win in 18.78 seconds.
Both greyhounds are raced by Little in partnership with Liz Newberry and Kevin Mullan, Springvale Alysa, after recently being purchased from Adelaide, having her first start for the new connections.
The black bitch never really looked in any danger of defeat, jumping well from box one and leading all the way to defeat Azumi Striker by three lengths in 30.81 seconds on a weather-beaten track that was certainly anything but conducive to quick times.
The trio’s purchase came about after they had acquired Xtreme Caution in the recent Mount Gambier Cup Calcutta and then collected more than $4000 when he ultimately won the cup.
Whelped in March 2016, the nicely-bred Springvale Alysa is by Dyna Double One out of 18-race winner Springvale Cool although, according to Little, she had not been their original choice.
“Late last month she had raced against Dyna Quail who comfortably defeated her in a maiden 515 metre race at Angle Park,” he said.
“Dyna Quail was the dog we were chasing but when the sale failed to eventuate we were able to pick up the second placegetter Springvale Alysa and still have change from our Calcutta windfall.”
Little said he was now considering running Springvale Alysa at Warrnambool on Thursday in heats of a mixed 6/7 over 450 metres – the final on the following Wednesday carrying $1650 to the winner.
And the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club did its bit on Sunday for Operation Flinders.
With Greyhound Racing SA donating $250 for every box one greyhound winning across South Australia during April, it was good result for the charity, with Springvale Alysa, Cryer’s Plugger,
Redda, Galactic Viper and Chilly Kiss all carrying the red rug to victory.
