David Lewis
MENINGIE trainer Tim Richards recently made a successful return to Tara Raceway with the well-bred youngster Circus Craze who, as it turned out, kicked off a big week for him.
Back for the first time since Wickham won on May 22, Richards was chasing a maiden win with Circus Craze, the daughter of Barcia Bale x Molly Be Nimble having her sixth start on the back of a couple of minor placings at Angle Park.
Away quickly from box five in the 400-metre Bartholomew Pick 6 Maiden Stake, the April 2021 whelping was always travelling like a winner when defeating littermate/kennelmate Oh Louise, who finished well to be beaten by four lengths in a tidy 23.32 seconds.
In the following race, the Exchange Printers Juvenile Stake (400m), another littermate/kennelmate in Coorong Cam ran the David Peckham owned and trained Bourne Bully to 1½ lengths in a quick 22.87 seconds.
The litter was bred at Meningie by Cameron Butcher, of Worm Burner fame, who races the Richards-trained trio in partnership with his wife Yvonne.
Richards also enjoyed considerable success at Tara Raceway with an earlier Molly Be Nimble litter by Aston Dee Bee which included 2021 Summer Classic winner Justice For All and Crush Your Enemy who won the Newman McDonnell Memorial later that year.
The former fisherman come football coach has certainly progressed a fair way since winning his first race at Tara Raceway back in December 2017 with a greyhound called Allen Paul.
In September this year he really hit the headlines.
Another of his greyhounds, He’s On Fire, reached the final of the Million Dollar Chase (520m) at Wentworth Park and collected $45,000 when finishing third.
Following on from Circus Craze’s win, later in the week another Richards-owned greyhound in He’s All Purpose won his way through to the final of the Group 2 TAB Ipswich Gold Cup (520m).
Winner of 2021 SA Country Cup at Angle Park when representing Mount Gambier, He’s All Purpose also won the 2022 Summer Classic at Tara Raceway.
By Aston Dee Bee out of Purpose Driven, the black dog – he has drawn box 6 in the final – is currently being trained at Thagoona by former SA-based trainer Kevin Murnane.
Meanwhile, back at Tara Raceway and Koroit-based greyhounds Mr. Deeds and Majestic Jewel ran the quinella in the Todd’s Photographics Stake (512m) for Garry Anders and Narelle Byrne.
At Tara Raceway for the first time, Mr. Deeds, after a good start from box eight, was in front going out of the first bend.
From then on he never looked in any danger of defeat, eventually winning by 5½ lengths in the smart time of 29.96 seconds.
By Cosmic Rumble out of Mepunga Tiara – a winner of 17 races and close to $200,000 in stakemoney – Mr. Deeds’ win was his third overall and his first since March at Sandown Park.
However, during that period the black dog had been placed on 13 occasions at Sandown Park, The Meadows, Warrnambool, Geelong and Horsham.
His win at Tara Raceway was the first at the local track for Anders since March 7, 2021.
On that occasion it was Wilbur Deeds who had been successful over 305 metres in a Masters event for greyhounds over four years of age.
In fact, that had been his fourth consecutive Masters win after three in a row over 400 metres.
All told, Wilbur Deeds raced on 144 occasions for 25 wins.
Mr. Deeds followed up with another placing last week when running a big race to finish third over 485 metres at Horsham where he raced again yesterday.
