SOUTH East greyhounds Springvale Alyssa and Galactic Panther will line up in tomorrow’s Group 3 Howard Ashton Classic heats (515 metres) at Angle Park after turning in top performances at the city track on Thursday night.
The pair clashed in a grade six event, virtually going over the finish line together when running second and third behind long odds-on favourite and another classic contender in Abuzz who won by three lengths in 30.22 seconds.
Galactic Panther, owned at Moorak by Robert Chuck and trained by Steve Bartholomew of Worrolong, has drawn box seven in the first of four heats and has boom youngster Victa Louise – a winner of 13 of her past 14 starts – sitting on his outside.
Chuck will chas his second Ashton Classic, Galactic Viper successful in 2015 when trained for him by Dave Geall of Lara.
By Milldean Panther out of Galactic Rumball, Galactic Panther’s granddam is Elite Touch, a litter sister to Galactic Viper’s dam Magic Elite.
The Bungaloo Syndicate, which includes Liz Newberry and trainer John Little of Kongorong, has done well with Springvale Alysa since purchasing her from Adelaide last month – three wins at Tara Raceway and Warrnambool and Thursday night’s second.
She has also drawn box seven tomorrow, in the second heat, with box eight runner Tal Lee looking one of the toughest to beat after recently running Abuzz to three-quarters of a length.
By Dyna Double One out of Springvale Cool, Springvale Alysa’s great-granddam is Corrumbene Lass, a winner of eight races from 19 starts, all over the short course at Strathalbyn and up the straight at Kulpara.
Interestingly, Corrumbene Lass is also the great-granddam of Victa Louise.
The classic, a paid-up event for SA-bred greyhounds whelped between January 2016 and June 2016, takes its name from Howard Ashton who, at 15 years of age, became honorary secretary of the Adelaide Greyhound Racing Club by default when the person holding that position did not turn up one Sunday afternoon for the Waterloo Corner race meeting.
In fact, he was never to be seen again after disappearing with the club funds, Ashton remaining in the job and becoming honorary secretary of the AGRC six years later when the club moved to Bolivar and raced behind the mechanical lure before the introduction of legalised wagering on greyhounds.
By December 1971, with the AGRC by then only a few months away from racing at Angle Park, Ashton had been appointed full-time secretary/manager, a position he held until 1996 when he became Racing Operations Manager before retirement in 2000.
Semi-finals of the Howard Ashton Classic will be run on Thursday, May 24 with the $37,500 final on Thursday, May 31.
Thumbs up for upgrade
GREYHOUND racing, which resumed at Tara Raceway on Sunday afternoon after a three-week upgrade primarily aimed at improving the consistency of the camber around the track, has received a resounding thumbs up.
Speaking after the 10-race meeting, Greyhound Racing SA Strategic Projects Manager, Scott Wuchatsch, said he had been delighted by the manner in which the predominantly interference-free racing had come up on television.
Steward in charge, Josh Evans, also was full of praise for the upgrade while track work supervisor Tim Manterfield said participants had been more than happy with the way the track played out.
“The response today from participants was very positive,” said a relieved Manterfield, who has effectively managed the works on-site from start to finish and put in numerous extra hours to ensure the project was completed in such a small time frame.
One trainer, in particular, who is pleased the home turn camber has been improved, is long-time participant Captain Abbott of Edenhope.
“I have been racing here for something like 14 years,” he said.
“And I’d been suggesting for most of that time the home turn needed more camber.
“It now looks good.”
In fact, in recognition of Abbott’s long-time crusade, Tara Raceway’s home turn is now known as “Captain’s Corner” and carries the appropriate signage.
Portland trainer Robert Halliday landed a double with Spirited Bingle and Nimble Foot, both out of Kokoda Spirit, winner of the 2013 SA Oaks at Angle Park.
By Collision, Spirited Bingle, who was an impressive 400 metre winner at Tara Raceway on April 25 in best of day time, went right on with the job when quickly finding the front and then holding off Mount Gambier Cup finalist Verev to win by three-quarters of a length in 23.27 seconds, another best of day time.
Nimble Foot, a son of Barcia Bale, was well supported on debut in the Klaassens Contractors Stake over 512 metres, settling in third spot down the back straight before finding the rails and racing right away from Bungaloo Thor and Azumi Ryder to win by five-and-a-quarter lengths in 30.06 seconds.
Sunday’s double continued a good year for Halliday who has now trained 16 winners at Tara Raceway and currently is in third spot behind Tracie Price and Nicole Stanley on the Leading Trainers’ list.
