By David Lewis
MOORAK’S Jason Newman has done pretty well with Departure Gate since taking over the black dog in November from Trott Park trainer Damien Bates after he temporarily transferred to Western Australia.
Raced by Bates’ mother-in-law, Sharyn McSorley, Departure Gate has won 12 races since relocating – 10 at Tara Raceway and two at Angle Park over 530 metres and 595 metres.
Actually, from a feature race point of view, it has been a really good year for Newman and his partner Melissa Freitag.
Strike Eagle won the Sims Family Memorial Maiden (512m) back in January, then Departure Gate, after a keen battle with Midnight Blast, won the Thrift Shop Tara Tipsters Open (512m) in March in a quick 29.53 seconds.
Come Mount Gambier Cup time in early April, Newman’s son of Fernando Bale and Tarks Nemesis was the first greyhound through to the Group 3 final when he defeated Devel Sixteen in 29.61 seconds.
The trainer’s reaction to having a cup finalist was significant.
Not quite on a par with the celebrations of the following week, though, when Departure Gate narrowly defeated Weblec Ranger to win the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s richest-ever race.
So after a training career spanning only a couple of years, the names of Jason Newman and his greyhound were set to appear on the club’s honour board.
Already on that honour board was a greyhound called Monstropolis, winner of the Mount Gambier Cup in 2003 for Michael Niele of Berringa.
Also on track that day was his seven-year-old daughter Michelle and over the years she would accompany her father on many occasions to Tara Raceway.
After Michelle died from cystic fibrosis in November 2019, her father approached the MGGRC with a view to running an annual Michelle Niele Memorial at Tara Raceway.
First conducted in 2021, it was decided to run the memorial as a dual challenge series – the first week over 512 metres and the final a week later over 600 metres.
The inaugural winner was the Tracie Price trained Golly Gumdrops.
The Price-trained Giant’s Flash, track record holder over both distances, certainly looked the one to beat in this year’s series.
In the first round he defeated Departure Gate by two lengths in 29.59 seconds.
But last Sunday’s middle-distance race saw Departure Gate defy the opposition to run him down – Rhonda Lily giving plenty of cheek before finishing a 2¼ length second.
Her kennelmate Giant’s Flash, after enjoying little luck early, was a further 2½ lengths back in a time of 34.92 seconds.
Handling the presentation was Kevin “KD” Douglas, whose association with the Niele family goes back a long way.
Speaking at the presentation, Newman said it was a real honour to have won the Michelle Niele Memorial.
“I never had the pleasure of meeting Michelle,” he said.
“But judging by the comments of people who did know her she must have been a wonderful person.
“Also, I would like to thank Michael and Vicki Niele for their continuing support of the memorial.”
The three placegetters from last Sunday’s memorial final contested heats of the Shane McQueen (595m) at Angle Park last night.
The $14,275 final will be held on Thursday, June 2.
