By David Lewis
TRACIE Price, Mount Gambier’s leading greyhound trainer, enjoyed his most successful day at Tara Raceway this year when Spot On Yvonne was the first of five winners at last Sunday’s meeting.
Lining up from box one in the Gordon Refrigeration Maiden Stake over 400 metres, the white and fawn bitch led all the way at her third race start when defeating Text Pest by 1¾ lengths in 23.89 seconds.
Over the moon with the win was first time Renmark owner Joe Gallo who took over Spot On Yvonne after she had been a giveaway prior to breaking-in.
By Orson Allen, Spot On Yvonne is out of five-race winner Spot On Cinta, whose dam Cintiarna won 23 races and $285,000 in prize money.
Price’s second winner came in the third and final heat of the Winning Post Supplies Grade 6 (400m) when Myall Man, a litter brother to Spot On Yvonne, took up the running off the back before going on to a 2½ length win over Beauty Bubbles in 23.42 seconds.
Whiskey Chaser and Hooked On Love were his next two winners, the former taking the lead off the back in the Bartholomew Pick 6 Mixed Stake (400m) and finishing strongly to defeat Hot Cadillac by 3¾ lengths in a best-of-day 23.04 seconds for Craigmore owner Mark Watson.
Hooked On Love, the son of Hooked On Scotch x Love Made Me bred by Watson and raced by father-and-son team Craig and Tanner Ahl in partnership with Matt Trzeciak, won his first 600-metre race.
Last early, Hooked On Love took up the running down the back straight in the Ary Sports Bar & Bistro Mixed Stake before finishing strongly for a three-length win over kennelmate Compton Mia in 35.32 seconds.
Price wrapped up what was another big day when the Nick Lalli owned Bad Move hung on for a head win over Compton Robbie in 29.92 seconds after leading all the way in the Metal Worx Mixed Stake (512m).
Compton Robbie, trained at Portland by Robert Halliday, finished full of running after being well back early.
Both first and second placegetters may well be staking their claims next month in the time-honoured Exchange Printers Anniversary Cup (512m).
Price trained Spring Cuervo, the 2020 Anniversary Cup winner and has since followed up with Tandiki and Giant’s Flash.
Halliday trained the 2007 and 2008 winners Bee Good and Tickets Please.
Heats of the Anniversary Cup will be run on Sunday, July 16 with the $8000 final the following Sunday in conjunction with the John Reid Memorial Maiden (305m) and the Eric Lewis Memorial (732m).
Meanwhile, Cawbourne Stella, trained at Allendale East by David Peckham for Murray Bridge’s Razza Racing team, took the time honours in the Winning Post Supplies heats when leading all the way for a six-length win over Finniss Rose in 23.15 seconds.
In the second heat, Glenroy trainer Richard Clayfield’s Katoni – raced by Ross Smith of Reynella and his Murray Bridge-based son Damien – after running six minor placings from his past seven starts, hung on for a head win over Sins To Burn in 23.40 seconds.
Another trainer to enjoy a good day was Moorak-based Jason Newman who was successful with Moe Them Down, All Damiro and Wind Burn Flash – his third Tara Raceway treble this year and his second in as many weeks.
By Orson Allen out of Wynburn Geri, Moe Them Down made her debut in last Sunday’s Carlin and Gazzard Maiden Stake (305m) when leading all the way for a two length win over Love Me Better in 18.20 seconds.
Moe Them Down is owned in Adelaide by Mick McSorley who purchased him as a pup from Finniss breeder Lauren Harris who also reared the white and fawn dog.
But following issues with his breaking-in, McSorley had sent him down to Mount Gambier to see if Newman could do anything with him.
“He eventually sorted himself out,” Newman said.
“Then he broke his jaw chewing in his kennel so it hasn’t been all plain sailing along the way.”
Wind Burn Flash, a daughter of Worm Burner and Real Flash, winner of the 2015 Group 2 WA Oaks, continued her domination of 732-metre racing at Tara Raceway when defeating Yoshi Boy by 8½ lengths in 43.80 seconds in the Exchange Printers Mixed Stake.
This year she has contested 11 staying races at Tara Raceway for eight wins and currently leads Mortlake-based stayer Mick’s Kimmy by nine points in the Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year award.
All being well, Wind Burn Flash is likely to tackle next month’s $5000 Lewis Memorial.
