David Lewis
FROM a Carlin and Gazzard Mount Gambier Cup point of view, long-time leading local trainers Tracie Price and David Peckham would have been more than happy with last Sunday’s outcome at Tara Raceway.
With both trainers still chasing their first Mount Gambier Cup wins, the runs of the Price-trained Sister Roberta and Peckham’s Aston Ziebell were both top efforts as a lead-in to Sunday’s cup heats over 512 metres.
Having her first run at Tara Raceway, Sister Roberta looked pretty good when leading all the way in the Cadillac Racing Stake (512m) for a 7¾ length win over Yarramundi Paul in the fastest time at the track this year – 29.39 seconds.
In the following race, the Tara Tipsters Cup (512m), Aston Ziebell – coming off a Horsham Cup heat run – was not far behind when also leading all the way and defeating Nero Valentino by 6¼ lengths in 29.43 seconds.
For Sister Roberta, it had been some time since she had last won – back in November at Gawler over 400 metres in a quick 22.66 seconds.
According to Price, the fawn bitch had since lost her way a little bit.
“She’s won 12 races and was a finalist in last year’s Group 2 Oaks in WA so she can obviously run,” Price said.
“So when Matt Trzeciak and the Toot Toot Syndicate suggested a change of track to down here I was more than happy to give her a try.”
By Barcia Bale, Sister Roberta is out of the US-bred Phantom Mime who won 20 races at the Dubuque track in Iowa before being brought to Australia by George Farrugia of Kramerica Greyhounds.
“She’s by KC And All out of Af Nala and while only just getting the 500 yards, she was very fast and from a really good family,” Farrugia said.
Phantom Mime has whelped three other litters – by High Earner, which includes Farrugia’s talented Boston Garden, Kinloch Brae and three dogs and three bitches by Feral Franky earlier this year.
The Trzeciak syndicate is also tied up with another of Price’s Compton Kennels cup contenders in Hooked On Love who won at Tara Raceway in February over 512 metres in 29.46 seconds.
Price said he also had Summer Classic winner Honey Rocks, Blue Sky Boy, Compton Redeemer, Mister Banjo and El Banjo lined up for the Mount Gambier Cup.
Meanwhile, Aston Ziebell’s win in the Tara Tipsters Cup brought up the son of Aston Kimetto x Aston Dinnigan’s 18th win for owner Ray Borda and 13th for his Allendale East-based current trainer.
The Tara Tipsters Cup is periodically run at Tara Raceway in recognition of the participants who contribute to local charities through their twice-weekly tipping competition.
Aston Ziebell was Peckham’s second Tara Tipsters Cup winner after Captain Larry had previously been successful.
“I guess you could say that Larry’s gone ahead in leaps and bounds since then,” he said.
With prize money now of $81,000 and an unlucky fourth in the recent Australian Cup at The Meadows, that is probably a fair call.
Earlier last Sunday Peckham was successful for Adelaide owners Dwayne Jiggins and Mathew Fensom with Federal Flash in the Carlin and Gazzard Stake (512m).
By Fernando Bale out of Federal Lilly – a winner of 15 races and $163,000 in prize money – Federal Flash led all the way when defeating Not So Expensive by 3¼ lengths in 29.61 seconds.
“He was on trial today for the Mount Gambier Cup and even though it was a grade six event, he probably did enough to warrant giving the cup serious consideration,” Peckham said.
Peckham’s involvement with Jiggins and Fensom goes back to a period in 2019 and 2020 when he trained Dyna Naitch, a winner of 10 races at Mount Gambier, for the pair.
Last Sunday’s 10-race program was a dominant one for the two trainers.
Price finished with four winners – Compton Yap, Compton Blazer, Sister Roberta and her litter brother Impeached.
Peckham trained a treble – Jimmy Jay, Federal Flash and Aston Ziebell.
All that now remains is whether one of the pair can finally land a Mount Gambier Cup.
