As far as owner-trainer Garry Harding was concerned, Tiggerlong Red’s time-graded win last week at Tara Raceway in the Trackside Meats 1-4 Wins Stake 512 metres had been a long time coming.
“By the time I took him over in February this year Tiggerlong Red had won only a maiden at Wagga over 320 metres in May 2020 for breeder Michael Finn,” said Harding, who is based just down the road from Horsham at Laharum.
“Then, due to injury, he was off the scene until May this year.
Realistically, he is certainly better placed here at Tara Raceway behind the finish-on-lure but border restrictions have made things tough for everyone” he added.
Chasing his second win in 18 months, Tiggerlong Red put himself into last week’s race when railing through on early leader Aston Mateo down the back straight.
From then on the red fawn dog was always travelling like a winner, eventually running out a 1¼ length’s winner over King Smiley in 30.67 seconds.
By Dyna Double One out of 20-race winner Tiggerlong Dot, he boasts an illustrious brother in the form of the Group 1-winning Tiggerlong Tonk who all told has raced on 94 occasions for 42 wins and more than $760,000 in stake money.
For Harding, the win was his first as a trainer at Tara Raceway in almost two years when Incy Valley had been successful.
However, he is also associated with recent winner Minnie Banjo who he sent over to local trainer Tracie Price.
“She’s raced by a group of us in the name of the Giant Crows Syndicate.
I trained her when she won a couple of races in quick time over 410 metres at Horsham earlier in the year,” Harding said.
“But after a few issues, I reckoned she also would probably be better suited behind the finish-on-lure.
With the constant uncertainty surrounding the borders I approached Tracie to see if he would take her.”
On December 16, Minnie Banjo, a daughter of Banjo Boy and Navada Flame, made her Mount Gambier debut with a dashing 5¼ length’s win over Educate in a best of day time of 22.98 seconds.
Meanwhile, Langhorne Creek trainer Tony Hinrichsen’s Filthy Phantom brought up his 27th win when finishing over the top of Aston Noah for a half length win in 23.18 seconds in the Hyland Fox 5+ Wins Stake over 400 metres.
With 262 starts accumulated in the space of four years, Filthy Phantom, is generally regarded as the greyhound to have raced the most number of times on Australian tracks.
His time last week was equal best of the day, matching that of Educate – almost four years his junior.
Filthy Phantom then lined up in Monday’s Gordon Refrigeration Masters Stake over 305 metres.
Masters races are for greyhounds 3¾ years and upwards – the oldest nominated receiving priority in regard to receiving a start.
Whelped in April 2016, the son of Lochinvar Marlow and Ruby Swift went into the race with 12 months to spare over Cawbourne Cross, who had gone around on 130 occasions and was the second-oldest runner.
It was a busy Christmas Day out at David Peckham’s Allendale East Bourne Kennels when Sweet On Me whelped a litter of four dogs and six bitches to the US sire Superior Panama KC And All x USS Ceremony.
By Barcia Bale out of Call Me Gee with 11 wins and $53,000 in stake money, Sweet On Me won 21 races on the circle and straight for Ross Schurgott’s Nineofus Syndicate when trained by Peckham and Ben Rawlings.
One of her bigger wins at Tara Raceway was the 2020 Summer Classic over 512 metres when she led all the way to defeat Andy Graham’s Bay Me and her littermate Call Me Billy in 29.83 seconds.
Trebles to Tara Raceway’s leading trainers, David Peckham and Tracie Price, at Monday’s holiday meeting was probably a fitting manner in which to wrap up Category 2 racing for the year.
Peckham, of Allendale East, won both heats of the grade 5 series over 400 metres with Educate and Aston Marlon while Out Of Gas brought up his eighth local win for the year – and the trainer’s treble – in the Metal Worx Open Stake over 400 metres.
Peckham will have three runners in Sunday’s final after Midnight Blast finished third behind Educate.
The Compton-based Price will have four finalists after Compton Ruby, Simba, Right Way and Compton Casey all finished in the first four in their respective heats.
Price was off to a flying start when winning the first two races – both run over 305 metres – with Starlight Nelly in the Winning Post Supplies Maiden in 18.01 seconds and Charley Davidson impressing with a four lengths win in the Gordon Refrigeration Masters in 17.63 seconds.
His treble came up nearing the end of the 12-race card when Minnie Banjo once again impressed over the 400 metres with a dashing display in the Klaassens Contractors Stake.
Leading all the way from box two, the black bitch followed up on her recent initial win when defeating Worms Are Biting by 7½ lengths in 22.91 seconds.
With the 2021 season concluding yesterday at Tara Raceway with a time-graded meeting, it was Peckham who finally gained the upper hand after Price had led for much of the year.
This will be Peckham’s third consecutive Ian Badger Leading Trainer award, named after the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s inaugural leading trainer of 1979.
Price won the 2018 Ian Badger Leading Trainer award.
The Cap Abbott owned and trained Another Pick hung on to win the 2021 Greyhound of the Year award over John Little’s Bungaloo Anne who closed the gap to three points on Monday but will not race again at Tara Raceway this year.
