David Lewis
THERE was no shortage of experience in Thursday’s 400-metre Carlin and Gazzard MG Stake as Cape Bridgewater greyhound Worms Are Biting scooted around the track for a 113th time to defeat Glenville Rose who was having her 125th start.
Chasing his first win since May for owner-trainer Scott Blacksell, Worms Are Biting led all the way from box two before running out a 3½ length winner in 23.34 seconds.
The win was also a further boost for the latest Tara Tipsters charity of choice, the Mount Gambier Community Christmas Day Lunch, after Blacksell had pledged a $50 donation every time the black dog won in the lead-up to Christmas.
This is not the first time Blacksell, who is one of the Tara Tipsters, has donated part of his greyhound’s prizemoney to a worthwhile local charity.
It was back in the early days of local participants’ charity support that he had donated $50 from wins by his greyhound Rooster for the Sunset Community Kitchen.
Two wins had been forthcoming.
By Worm Burner out of 13-race winner Maximum Bella, Worms Are Biting has now won eight races and run 39 minor placings for Blacksell, who, it has to be said, is not moving quite as quickly as his greyhound at the moment.
He is the 50-something trainer who is reasonably conspicuous as he looks to negotiate Tara Raceway with the assistance of a walking frame while awaiting a couple of hip replacements.
Bred at Allendale East by David Peckham, Worms Are Biting was purchased at four months of age by Blacksell who, together with partner Jude Tait, reared and later broke him in at Cape Bridgewater.
“We prefer to purchase our greyhounds as pups and then rear them ourselves,” he said.
“In recent times we’ve done a bit of business with Dave as far as the buying of pups goes.
“We also went with a couple of his My Redeemer x Raz’s Girl pups that now race as Mocambora Bella and Mocambora Izza.
“Our most recent pup purchases have been a dog and a bitch by the US sire Superior Panama out of Sweet On Me.”
But back to Thursday and Mocambora Bella was the second leg of a double for Blacksell after overcoming a slow start before finishing strongly and defeating Menari Houdini by 2½ lengths in 23.38 seconds.
The double was his second this year after the Mocambora sisters had won on the same day back in June.
Collectively, they have now been successful on 11 occasions this year.
