David Lewis
AS Penshurst trainer John Cameron tells it, after having 14 names rejected for his black bitch by Lightning Frank x Fascinated, all he could say to the person on the other end of the line was “this is no joke”.
“Well, actually, the name No Joke hasn’t been taken so you can have that if you like,” was the reply.
No Joke, at start number 13, last Thursday opened her winning account at Tara Raceway when leading all the way in the 400-metre Trackside Meats Maiden Stake to defeat Sly Cadillac by 2¼ lengths in 23.67 seconds.
It was Cameron’s second win at the track this year after No Joke’s litter sister Agnes had won on debut over 305 metres back in May.
Owner-trainer of the dam, 12-race winner Fascinated – a daughter of Hutmaker x Spellbound – Cameron also bred and reared the March 2020 litter at Penshurst.
“No Joke broke-in pretty well but was a bit scratchy in her early starts,” he said.
“I reckon she’ll run a bit further than 400 metres – she’s actually bred to run 600 metres.
“One thing’s for sure, though, I’ll definitely be coming back to Tara Raceway with her.”
The Penshurst theme continued in race two, the Produce Store Stake (400m), when the pint-sized 22½ kilogram Penshurst Lass led all the way for a 5¾ length win over Cadillac Beast in 23.83 seconds.
Raced by Dennis Peach and Cathy Flaven, and trained at Hamilton by Tony Harding, the winner is also by Lightning Frank, a dual Group 1 winner, out of Jimary Siesta, a 720-metre Wentworth Park winner.
Bred at Penshurst by Brendan Bunworth, Penshurst Lass has now raced on 64 occasions for four wins at Mount Gambier.
