Lewiston trainer Don Turner and his family’s big day at the recent Waterloo Cup coursing meeting at Virginia was followed up at Tara Raceway last Thursday when Under Siege kicked off the day with an impressive win in the Trackside Meats Stake (600 metres).
Once again, on track with the Turner-trained team were his wife Gail and granddaughter Decota Curran who the previous week had enjoyed a luckless day when Basso’s Choice, Lance Keeping and Under Study all ran second.
The 30-start Under Siege went into last Thursday’s 0-4 wins event with only an Angle Park maiden win over 530 metres at $41 back in July.
But her recent form over 595 metres at the city track had been good enough to suggest a bold showing at her Mount Gambier debut.
That’s how the race played out with Under Siege overcoming a slow start before finding the front down the back and then racing away to a 7¾ length win over Loving The Cash in a quick 35.09 seconds.
Handling the winner was Curran who grew up around greyhounds and these days is also a strapper for Gawler-based race horse trainers Dean and Gary Alexander, formerly of South Africa.
And Turner went close to landing a litter double when Basso’s Choice stormed home in the Metal Worx Fast Forward final (512 m) to be beaten a neck by Classic Moment in a best of day 29.90 seconds.
Also bred by Turner, the pair is by Cosmic Chief out of Lightcry, who, according to Gail Turner, broke down before possibly reaching her full potential.
“Back in September 2018 she won a maiden at Port Augusta by 11 lengths before breaking a hock at Angle Park the following week.
“We decided to keep her for breeding and in November 2021 she whelped a second litter, this time to Zipping Garth.”
Don and Gail Turner’s involvement at Tara Raceway actually goes back some 10 years to when Lika Gem and Colville, trained locally for them by Allen Williams, won the 2012 Christmas Cup and the 2013 Mount Gambier Cup.
Meanwhile, at the Virginia coursing ground, Don Turner and his Cosmic Chief x Lightcry littermates Fifty Eight and Basso’s Girl made a clean sweep of the classics when winning the GOTBA Derby and GOTBA Oaks.
And kennelmate All Show was runner-up to Fly For Trix in the Waterloo Cup.
Jimali ‘just starting to find his feet’
According to 14-dog trainer Adrien Chevalier, who is based a half hour down the road from Murray Bridge at Ettrick, his well-bred greyhound Jimali is only just starting to find his feet.
This follows back to back wins by the son of My Bro Fabio and Janali at Murray Bridge and then last Thursday at Tara Raceway in the Swallow Drive Meats Stake (512 m).
His win at Murray Bridge was one of three winners for Chevalier who was also successful in a Country Cup heat with Run Like Jess and with Out Of Nowhere over the 395 metre journey.
Jimali, who had previously been unplaced at Tara Raceway over 512 metres and 600 metres, looked pretty good when taking off down the back straight before defeating Bungaloo Brooke by 3½ lengths in 30.09 seconds.
Chevalier, who has been involved in the sport for 10 years, said the Jason Carrozza-owned black dog had been in his kennels for something like 2½ months but only now was he starting to show a bit of emotion.
“I’m putting it down to the finish-on lure here at Mount Gambier,” he said.
“I reckon it’s really picked him up and you can see a marked difference in his attitude.”
Incidentally, Thursday’s win with Jimali was Chevalier’s first at Tara Raceway since Pinky Girl had been successful back in November 2019.
Training honours for the day went the way of Tony Hinrichsen of Langhorne Creek – his second treble for the month, this time with Correlate, White Hulk and Shintaro Fury.
