It had been more than 12 months since the Dunolly owner-trainer team of Sandra Elmes and Rick Boehm had last had greyhounds racing at Tara Raceway.
But Boehm was back recently, testing the waters with a couple of runners that ultimately ran placings at the time-graded meeting.
And he was back again for last week’s Thursday meeting, but this time successful with Spellman who in January 2023 had opened his winning account in a maiden at the local track.
Lining up from box five in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 TG5+W Stake (400 metres), by now with a further eight wins to his name, the white and brindle dog led all the way, eventually defeating Quantum’s Dream by a half-length in 23.37 seconds.
Bred by Boehm, Spellman is by American Monster, a Group-placed winner of 23 races and more than $100,000 in prize money, out of Avatar Minty, also trained by Boehm and a winner of 18 races and $27,000 in earnings.
Boehm recalled last Thursday their first winner at Tara Raceway had been in July 2018 with Avatar Blaze, a litter brother to Avatar Minty.
He also went close last week in the Da’Leni Meats Maiden Stake (305 m) with Poppy Rick, a son of Feral Franky and Stepping, who led for most of the journey before being grabbed on the line by Silver Service in 17.97 seconds.
And that night in Hobart, Poppy Rick’s litter brother, Quest For Edge was successful over 340 metres. From an earlier litter, by Aussie Infrared, are Matt Loch (21 wins, $160,000 prize money) and Stomping (14, $143,000).
Terang trainer Mark Roberts, whose greyhound Lektra Tony was runner-up to Fireworks in July’s Mount Gambier Anniversary Cup, was back last Thursday to handle first starter Silver Service in his win over Poppy Rick.
By Bernardo out of Habits To Burn, a five-race winner on Victorian provincial tracks, Silver Service was reared on a one for one basis by Roberts and his wife Catherine who is not making too many trips to the tracks these days given the number of dogs and pups currently on their property.
“He’s a February 2023 whelping so he’s still very young,” Roberts said. “And having only trialled with one other dog I thought a run here over 305 metres might be a good introduction for him. I thought he handled himself pretty well.”
In recent times, things have been pretty quiet for Moorak owner-trainer Allan Holmes – a couple of wins in 2017 with a greyhound by the name of Bull Battle Born and one with Way To Stand had been about the extent of things.
Last week he had litter sisters Moorak Scout and Moorak Sally engaged at the time-graded meeting, with the former opening her winning account at start number two in the Federal Hotel Maiden Stake (305 m).
A daughter of My Redeemer and Galactic Mojo, Moorak Scout was a clear last early from box two before taking advantage of a rails run turning for home and running out a three length winner over Compton Lily in 18.80 seconds.
Three races later, Moorak Sally lined up from box two in the Williams Crane Hire TG1-4W Stake, the first of two heats of this month’s Fast Forward over 400 metres whereby the eight fastest qualifiers, irrespective of finishing positions, advance to this week’s final.
Settling in second spot, Moorak Sally then finished strongly after gaining a rails run to defeat Sudoku Shirley by 4½ lengths in 23.89 seconds – the time the third-fastest of the heats and the trainer’s best day at the track in a long time.
Fastest of the heats was My Girl Kellie who was always on the pace before railing through off the back and running out a 1¼ length winner over Alice Express for North Bendigo owner-trainer Aaron Blake in 23.74 seconds.
A giveaway greyhound, she is a daughter of Feral Franky out of McIvor Verna, a former 600 metre record holder at Tara Raceway and a winner of 13 races and $55,000 in prizemoney.
McIvor Verna was bred and at one stage trained by Peter Franklin. These days based at Mortlake, Franklin has Ringer’s Girl engaged in the Fast Forward final.
