By David Lewis
WITH greyhound racing at Tara Raceway on Sunday abandoned following the implementation of the hot weather policy after race three, it became a case of only the maiden greyhounds going around.
The three winners – Mooball, Rough Boy Gus and Huntsman – all looked pretty impressive in their respective first wins over 400 metres and 305 metres.
Having her third start on the back of two smart seconds at Tara Raceway, the Tracie Price trained Mooball found the front down the back in the Produce Store Stake over 400 metres before running out a 1¾ length winner over Cricket Tragic in 23.33 seconds.
Raced by Andrew Varasdi, who achieved much success with Banjo Boy, Mooball is by Barcia Bale out of My Little Mate, a winner of 29 races and close to $48,000 in prize money for Barbara Spackman of Castlereagh.
My Little Mate’s last 13 starts were in 2018 over 400 metres at Richmond where she won 12 races in succession before finishing second at her final start.
OB Flat breeder-owner-trainer Noel Perry has now won races with the three members of the My Redeemer x Vossy litter that he retained.
Following on from Rough Girl Mel and Rough Girl Slim in the Winning Post Supplies Stake (305m) was Rough Boy Russ who led all the way from box eight for a 5¾ length win over Bourne Panama in 17.66 seconds.
By Dyna Double One out of Miss Freelove, 13-race winner Vossy was bred locally by Price, who also trained the fawn bitch for much of her 45-start career.
In the third and final race of the day, the Carlin & Gazzard Stake (305m), first-starter Huntsman, after an ordinary getaway from box four, quickly found the front before running out a 7½ length winner over Aston Connor in 17.48 seconds.
Bred at Strathalbyn by Deb Stuppos, Huntsman is by Koblenz, a winner of 26 races and close to $800,000 in prize money, out of former smart Adelaide bitch Maddison Kaye.
The fawn dog was purchased as a pup by Compton owner-trainer Robert Chuck who said there had been a time when he doubted whether Huntsman or litter sister Resident Evil – who ran third at her first start on Sunday – would ever win a race.
“Initially they wouldn’t go a yard,” Chuck said.
“So in the end I made contact with Deb and she suggested I send them back to Strathalbyn for some re-education in their bullring.
“Well, to be honest, at one stage I was starting to wonder whether I would ever see them again given the time they had been away.
“But they finally found their way back and the wait was certainly worthwhile given that they both chased when I took them back to Tara Raceway on trial mornings – and they just continued to get better and better as time went on.”
The Tara Tipsters Cup was also scheduled to be run last Sunday, but will now be run at a forthcoming meeting.
On track, though, to receive this year’s first charity donation, was a most appreciative Sunset Community Kitchen trio in Maddi, Maree and Vickie, the former speaking in glowing terms of the Tara Tipsters’ generosity and presenting the club with a Certificate of Appreciation.
The Kevin Douglas initiative of Catch for Cash was where the Chase for Charity at Tara Raceway all began.
The Sunset Community Kitchen was the first recipient – Maree Thompson being one of the representatives on track on Thursday, December 10, 2020.
Allendale East trainer David Peckham had provided two finalists in the form of Angelo’s Entity and Midnight Daisy, both heat winners from the previous week. And for good measure he also had Venus And Mars warming the bench for him.
As it turned out, there was a scratching in the Sunset Community Kitchen race (512m) and Venus And Mars gained a start.
It is now history how the reserve runner went on to narrowly defeat Angelo’s Entity in the final in 30.17 seconds.
Tara Tipsters come and go, but by and large the numbers hold up pretty well.
The current series – for Foodbank – has welcomed another new tipster in Ben Kavenagh, a Greyhound Racing SA director.
