It’s now been three years since former jockey Louise Cooper, who was left a paraplegic following a race fall at Edenhope in March 2012, trained her first winner – Bomber’s Kiss in the last race on Naracoorte Cup Day.
The now 45-year-old Cooper trains in partnership with husband Matt in Hamilton where they currently have five in work.
But, accompanied by family and friends, it was a case of Cooper switching codes last Thursday at Tara Raceway where she eagerly awaited the running of race 10 – the Gordon Refrigeration TG1-4W Stake over 400 metres.
They were all on track to watch Cooper’s very first greyhound, Lady Bombshell, a daughter of US sire SH Avatar out of former Tasmanian bitch Settled, have her first start on a South Australian track.
And as far as a trainer was concerned, the excited owner could not have done much better after securing the services of one of SA’s most successful trainers in Tracie Price who is based at Compton.
Whelped in April 2022, Lady Bombshell had raced in Victoria on only five occasions, winning her maiden at her last start at Ballarat over 390 metres early last month.
The litter had been bred at Smythe’s Creek by Sheldon Hamilton who had been training most of the offspring in partnership with Cooper’s sister Kerryn Ryan.
According to Cooper, though, how Lady Bombshell came to be based in Mount Gambier was really by pure chance.
“Mum – Margaret Bant – just happened to be visiting my sister when Lady Bombshell was racing at Ballarat. But much to Mum’s surprise, after the win they were planning on selling her.
“Anyway, Matt and I purchased her and it now gives us another interest.”
And Race 10 turned out to be worth the wait when the little Bombshell led all the way and defeated kennelmate Fawn Beast by 5¼ lengths in a tidy 23.15 seconds.
For Louise Cooper and supporters the win gave them a terrific introduction to greyhound racing – a first-up win with their first runner.
Even Price, multiple leading trainer that he is, found it difficult to contain his excitement. Sometimes, though, it’s not about the stature of the race, but simply about the thrill of winning and what it means to the people involved.
Meanwhile, also flying the flag for Hamilton at Tara Raceway last Thursday were Lorraine Goodwin and son Kyle who collectively won three races.
Gnome To Burn brought up her first win for Goodwin snr when leading all the way in the Greg Martlew Autos Maiden Stake (305 m) and defeating Marma Phantom by 1¾ lengths in 18.37 seconds.
Then in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 TG5+W Stake (400 m), Red To Burn, after always being on the pace, stormed home to defeat Forgotten Fury by a half-length in 23.42 seconds and give her trainer a double for the day.
Young Kyle won the main race of the day, the Winning Post Supplies TG1-4W Fast Forward final (512 m), with Lie To Me who brought up his third consecutive win at the track.
The son of Bernardo and Habits To Burn led all the way from box four, holding out Bourne Sid to pick up the $1250 first prize by a length in 29.84 seconds.
Last Thursday’s meeting continued the good run the Goodwin family is enjoying this year at Tara Raceway. Collectively, greyhounds trained by Lorraine and Kyle have now won 20 races.
The Nifty Lenehan owned and trained Smokin’ Chicken looks to have shrugged off stopper bone problems which kept him off the scene for a couple of months.
The son of Allen Deed and Little Queeny resumed a fortnight ago with a third placing behind Kansas Chief before turning the tables last week in the Federal Hotel TG1-4W Stake (400 m).
Away well from box one, the white and fawn dog led all the way when defeating Kansas Chief by 2½ lengths in a pretty tidy 23.04 seconds.
Little Queeny is by KC And All out of Lektra Kelly, the dam boasting a strong staying pedigree, being by Bobby Boucheau out of Dohtmann.
Lenehan said that next week Little Queeny was due to be mated with Shima Shine.
