Sa visiting trainers rewarded for effort

FOUR WINNERS FOR TEAM TRENGOVE. Harry Trengove and his cousin Jack Trengove pictured with Crown Suzie, Curiouser, It’s A Louie and Shrinking after their big day at Tara Raceway last Thursday.

By David Lewis

WITH lockdowns, border closures and only essential personnel permitted on track, the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club probably did pretty well to conduct race meetings last Thursday and Sunday at Tara Raceway.

While the two 11-race programs were a bit light-on, MGGRC president Noel Perry, on behalf of the club, was quick to offer his thanks to the visiting SA trainers who helped to ensure the meetings went ahead.

“Once again, the border closure impacted on greyhound racing in Mount Gambier with the vast majority of Victorian trainers who generally support the club unable to make the trip over for last week’s meetings,” he said.

“As such, I’d like to sincerely thank our SA visitors, namely the Trengove team, Don and Gail Turner, Nathan and Bill Wilson and Nathan Goodenough for their valued support.

“And it was pleasing to see them rewarded for their efforts.”

Two Wells-based cousins Harry and Jack Trengove enjoyed a successful day at last Thursday’s time-graded fixture when training four winners.

Crown Suzie kicked off the meeting with a winner for Harry when leading all the way and defeating Paradise Five by five lengths in the 512-metre Metal Worx Maiden Stake in a time of 30.49 seconds.

In Trengove’s kennels since June, the daughter of My Bro Fabio and Tiggerlong Cruz was a giveaway after incurring the stewards’ displeasure at Sale.

“That was her 20th start so it’s taken her a while to win her first race,” the 20-year-old trainer said. “But she’s done nothing wrong since running a satisfactory trial at Gawler and with today’s win coming at her first run over the distance, hopefully she can further improve.”

Then it was Jack’s turn, the 23-year-old recently relocated Broken Hill trainer kicking off a day of three winners with Shrinking in the Gambier Vets 1-4 Wins Stake (400m).

A maiden winner at Tara Raceway last month, Shrinking was slow out last Thursday after failing to anticipate the start and hitting the front of the boxes.

However, she quickly rounded up the early leader Big Cadillac before going on to a 5½ lengths win in 23.38 seconds.

By Barcia Bale out of Appointed, the winner was bred and is raced by the Pearcedale-based Tullio family who won the 2014 Mount Gambier Cup with Veetee Express.

The second leg of the treble came in the Progreyhoundtips.com 5+ Wins Stake (400m) when It’s A Louie led all the way to defeat Glenville Rose by 4¾ lengths in 23.23 seconds.

By Worm Burner out of Batty Allen and bred by Jack’s father Clayton, the speedy It’s A Louie has been with the Trengove team since a pup.

Curiouser, a daughter of Fernando Bale and Kapalos, brought up the treble when leading all the way in the Hyland Fox 5+ Wins Stake (512m) to defeat Cadillac Prince by 5½ lengths in 29.85 seconds.

Curiouser has been a good pick-up for Trengove, who purchased the white and brindle bitch in March and has since won five races with her.

Then, come Sunday and it was Clint Trengove – father of Harry and uncle of Jack – flying the flag for the family with Victa Jess in the Metal Worx Stake (512m) and It’s Smudgy in the Gambier Vets Mixed Stake (400m).

Also contributing once again was Jack Trengove, successful in the Winning Post Supplies Maiden Stake (400m) with Criminal, a litter brother to Thursday’s winner Shrinking.

However, Sunday’s individual training honours belonged to Don Turner of Lewiston who landed his first treble at Tara Raceway with Indeed, Zipping Bates and All Show.

Raced by Turner’s wife Gail, Indeed is a daughter of Allen Deed and Roxy Rolla and was chasing the litter’s first 600-metre win when lining up in the Bartholomew Pick 6 Mixed Stake.

Golden Lester surprised when going straight to the front and it was not until off the back that Indeed took over the running.

From then on, though, she was never going to be beaten, eventually defeating the early leader by four lengths in a smart 35.13 seconds.

The Andrew Bastian owned Zipping Bates overcame a tardy start to win the first heat of the Foodbank Feature Grade 5 (512m).

Railing through on Connie’s Entity down the back, the blue brindle dog ran out a comfortable two-lengths winner in 30.03 seconds.

Purchased from Victoria in March, Zipping Bates has now won eight races for Turner, previous wins having been recorded at Gawler, Murray Bridge and Broken Hill.

All Show, who defeated Curiouser at Broken Hill back in March, looked to be in a bit of trouble early before finding the rails off the back.

The son of Barcia Bale and Blue Benzol then strode out for a 1½ lengths win over Mootwingee in 23.50 seconds in the Todd’s Photographics Mixed Stake (400m).

The second heat of the Foodbank Feature Grade 5 was won in convincing style by Pinnaroo trainer Nathan Wilson’s Oakvale Style, who led all the way to defeat Smokey River by 5½ lengths in a quick 29.67 seconds.

The daughter of Fernando Bale x Oakvale Destiny went into the race on the back of 29.53 seconds and 30.15 seconds wins at Sandown Park (515m) and The Meadows (525m) in June.

Sunday’s win took her number of wins to 16 for $40,000 in stakemoney.

Nathan Goodenough, who trains a team of four from the backyard of his Adelaide suburban home in Queenstown, made his first visit to Tara Raceway last Sunday with Shantui’s Ember and he went home a winner.

Owned in Victoria by Peter Gavin, the daughter of Shantui x Black Ember chased an improved Betty’s Entity until the home turn where she railed through before running out a 1¼ lengths winner in 23.26 seconds.

Speaking after the win in the Williams Crane Hire Stake (400m), the 35-year-old Goodenough, who has been involved with greyhounds for 20 years, said there had been a couple of reasons for the first-time trip to the Mount Gambier track.

“I’m chasing grade six wins with her,” he said.

“Also, I also believe she’s better suited to the bend start and now that I’ve seen the track and its amenities, the next time I come down I’ll bring the kids.”