It was only a couple of weeks ago that April Janssen set foot for the first time at Tara Raceway with her greyhound Princetown Flyer – chasing that elusive first win after 12 starts had resulted in a couple of minor placings at Warrnambool.
On that first day at the local track, Princetown Flyer contested the Da’Leni Meats Maiden/One Win Stake (512 metres). And after leading for much of the journey she finished second, beaten a half-length in the run home by Yadillah Scout.
“Given that was her first run on the track I was really pleased with the effort,” said Janssen, who runs a dairy farm with her husband Paul at Princetown which is located on the Great Ocean Road, east of the Twelve Apostles.
“She’s certainly worth bringing back for another try here.”
As good as her word, Janssen was back with the black bitch for last Thursday’s time-graded meeting in Mount Gambier, this time opting to drop her back in distance to 400 metres.
And Princetown Flyer never looked like being beaten in the Icon Signs Maiden Stake when flying the start from box six and tearing away for a seven length win over Compton Layla in a tidy time of 23.24 seconds.
“She’s my first dog, my first winner and the only greyhound we have on the property.
“It goes without saying, I’m over the moon.
“Really, she’s more of a pet than a race dog although she seems to race well here behind the finish-on-lure.
“The win will also be a great thrill for our 17-year-old son Louis who once he turns 18 will assume the ownership of Princetown Flyer.”
Purchased as a pup from Ecklin South breeder Beryl Fulton, Princetown Flyer is by Tommy Shelby out of Ivy Wren, a winner of 10 races at Warrnambool and Ballarat. The litter of 10 has now all won races.
Accompanying Janssen on both her trips to Tara Raceway was her father, Terang-based Paul Herry who has been involved with greyhounds for more than 50 years.
In late 2017 he won a couple of staying races in Mount Gambier with Garku Bale, a litter brother to the million dollar stayer Fanta Bale. The following year he also won the Col and Val Sims Memorial Maiden (512 m) with Got Some Cheek.
And earlier this year Herry was successful in the Federal Hotel Maiden/One Win Stake (512 m) with Drop Fifty, his first local winner since 2018.
Galactic Destiny’s third litter timing was just right
The whelping of Galactic Destiny’s third litter last week of three dogs and two bitches by Tommy Shelby worked out pretty well as far as Worrolong breeder Steve Bartholomew was concerned.
A few days after the whelping, the Lee Bartholomew trained Dug’s Sister – by Ando’s Mac and from Galactic Destiny’s second litter – led all the way at Tara Raceway in the Cadillac Racing TG1-4W Stake (400 m) when defeating Rough Girl Slim in a personal best time of 23.19 seconds.
And following up at Sunday’s meeting was the Elysia Bartholomew trained Devilish Child in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Stake (400 m). Settling in third spot, the white and black bitch finished strongly down the middle of the track for a neck win over Wild Milly in 23.65 seconds.
By Blue Moon Rising, Devilish Child is out of Galactic Destiny’s first litter and has now won 10 races at Mount Gambier and Murray Bridge.
And litter brother Divine Nature is a 12-race winner at Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Warrnambool, Geelong and Sandown Park.
Another member of the Blue Moon Rising litter is Unique Destiny, who has won nine races at Bendigo, Ballarat, Healesville, Geelong, Warrnambool and Horsham.
Six-race Mount Gambier winner Galactic Destiny is a daughter of Paddy Whacker and Galactic Rumball and a litter sister to Galactic Athena, winner of the 2019 Mount Gambier Cup.
Tommy Shelby, a three-time Group 1 winning son of Fernando Bale and a winner of more than $1m in prize money, includes among his wins the Australian Cup, Golden Easter Egg and Hobart 1000.
