By David Lewis
PENOLA-BASED Liam Sharam, 13 – a regular at Tara Raceway’s Sunday race meetings – did pretty well at the recent Interschool Swimming Carnival – a few second placings and a win in record time in the Junior Boys Freestyle relay team.
“Not bad for someone who got out of bed like a walking zombie this morning and wasn’t keen to swim today,” said proud mum Pat.
As far as greyhound racing is concerned, young Liam looks to be following in the footsteps of his dad Stuey, vineyard manager at Hollick Wines in the Coonawarra and Pat, who, as a young couple, had raced dogs out at the Glenburnie track.
Fast forward 25 years and Stuey and Pat are back at the greyhound track – this time at Tara Raceway on Lake Terrace East and this time with Liam in tow.
Such was the renewed interest, it was not long before all three had licences that would allow them to handle greyhounds at the track – owner-trainer, handler and catcher.
According to Stuey, the Compton-based Tracie Price kennel had got right behind the Sharam family in its bid to once again become actively involved in the sport.
“Tracie and his team were really good, allowing us to box and handle their greyhounds in front of the stewards in order that we could once again become licenced,” he said.
“Mind you, I have to say things have changed somewhat from those days out at Glenburnie when the filling out of a form was about all that was required in order to become a trainer.”
On frequent trips last year out to the Price kennels, Liam had become particularly taken with a big four-year-old brindle dog by Fernando Bale out of Rhonda Rocks who raced as Donny Rocks, an 11-race winner.
In passing, Price had mentioned to Donny Rocks’ Adelaide-based owner Ron Murch that there was a young lad regularly coming out to the kennels and how keen he was on the dog.
“If he’s that keen, tell him he can have him,” said Murch.
Well, it did not take Donny Rocks long to find his way up to the Coonawarra.
That was in October and by the time he had wrapped up the year with a win on December 24, he had won another six races.
Earlier in the day on December 24 Liam caught his first winner – Wild Milly for Tracie Price.
Meanwhile, after a couple of quick Pick 6 payouts of $430 and $170 in June and August last year, the Trackside Pet Meats-sponsored competition has worked its way up to a handy $370.
Capped at $500, the Pick 6, which incorporates races 3 to 8, is free to all on-course patrons and reverts to $100 once won.
It then jackpots by $10 a week.
For long-time greyhound man Richard Clayfield, of Glenroy, his $170 Pick 6 collect was his first since the competition was introduced in 1997.
Other Pick 6 winners in recent times have been Daniel Giersch, Kevin Jones, Steve Patzel, Kevin Patzel and Kerry Hawker.
