David Lewis
IT was on April 7 last year owner-trainer Michael Katsiris was last successful at Tara Raceway.
That was the day White Surprise ran a quick 22.92 seconds when defeating Lana Roads in the Commercial Hotel 5+Wins Stake over 400 metres.
Katsiris was back in Mount Gambier for last Thursday’s time-graded meeting And recently-purchased Larry And Harry was lining up from box one in the Progreyhoundtips.com Stake (400metres).
This was the first of five heats of the monthly Fast Forward 1-4 wins series.
Advancing to the following week’s $1535 final would be the fastest eight greyhounds, irrespective of their finishing positions in their heats.
Larry And Harry made sure Katsiris would make the trip back to Mount Gambier from the Melbourne suburb of Thomastown when scoring a dashing 4¼ length win over Cadillac Patch in 22.90 seconds – the quickest 400-metre time run all day.
By Moreira out of Alanna Banana, the former NSW-based black dog had been purchased from Colin Miller a month ago after having raced on only five occasions at Maitland, Wentworth Park and Richmond.
“I purchased him on the back of a quick maiden win at Richmond back in July,” Katsiris said.
“I guess the only query was that when I got him he hadn’t raced since the end of July.
“But I’m taking a chance that he will hold together.”
Berringa trainer Michael Niele will be chasing consecutive Fast Forward wins after rising five-year-old Gizmo Osti won the December series.
This month it will be with Stormin’ Frank.
In a keenly-contested final heat – the Rocks Tavern Stake – the son of My Redeemer and Mystic Moon finished strongly to defeat Compton Daisy by 1¼ lengths in a personal best time of 23.27 seconds.
Portland training team, Nicole Stanley and Nifty Lenehan, have two runners through to the final – Master Shameem and Shot Of Brandy – qualifying in times of 23.21 seconds and 23.31 seconds respectively in the Greg Martlew Autos Stake and the Carlin and Gazzard MG Stake.
Owned by Malcolm Keenan of Tarpeena, the Stanley-trained Master Shameem, a son of My Redeemer and Raz’s Girl, overcame a slow start before running down tearaway leader Cadillac Star to win by a half-length.
Shot Of Brandy, a daughter of Mount Gambier Anniversary Cup winner Lektra Brandy, turned in a big effort for Lenehan after finding her share of trouble in running and then defeating Crusoe Kid by 1½ lengths in 23.31 seconds.
Edenhope training duo, Captain Abbott and Kerry Hawker, also have two runners into the final – Cadillac Patch and Cadillac Star.
Both greyhounds finished second, but with times of 23.20 seconds and 23.25 seconds, this looks like being an interesting Fast Forward final.
