As far as greyhound racing in Mount Gambier goes, there’s not much that Allan Holmes of Moorak has not been tied up with.
His involvement goes back to the Glenburnie days when greyhound racing was conducted at the thoroughbred track. And to the early days when he volunteered his services at the track, owned and trained greyhounds and attended committee meetings.
There was also the sponsorship of local awards, Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club life membership in 2012 and along the way some success as an owner.
“Moorak Flyer, a son of Dancing Memory and Delmarni, who was bred by Connie Miller, won 14 races when trained for me by Steve Bartholomew. He also reached the final of two consecutive Mount Gambier Cups.
“And in 2013 when the SA Country Cup was resurrected it was Moorak Hope, trained by Tracie Price, who flew the flag for Mount Gambier when winning the 531 metre event at Gawler,” Holmes said.
It’s now been two years since he took up training again, this time with a greyhound picked up from Victoria called Way To Stand – a five-race winner at the time by Do not Knocka Him out of Little Fran.
“At around about the same time I’d also purchased a couple of bitch pups from Tracie by My Redeemer out of Galactic Mojo, a winner of eight races at Mount Gambier and a litter sister to Galactic Athena who won the 2019 Mount Gambier Cup,” Holmes said.
“I’d always believed the only way to get hold of a good greyhound was to breed or purchase a pup and hope to get lucky. In the meantime Way To Stand would help to fill in the time while I waited for the pups to reach racing age.”
Way To Stand won a race in October 2022 over 512 metres at Tara Raceway and after being sparingly raced during the next 12 months was retired.
Holmes said the breaking-in report on the pups suggested they were slow out and would have to find a bit. And their initial trials upon return to Moorak had the pair displaying very little early pace but well-behaved in the kennels.
So far, only Moorak Sally has raced for Holmes and his son Tim. Runs in a heat and final of the Reid Memorial (512 m) resulted in a couple of unplaced efforts behind smart types Saint Raine and Bourne Model.
Then, at her third start, Moorak Sally was beaten by 4¼ lengths in early August by My Girl Kellie in a maiden/one win stake over 512 metres.
“Actually, I thought she was a bit unlucky at her last start so when she came out and drew box two in last Thursday’s Williams Crane Hire Maiden Stake (400 m) I thought she was close to a win.”
And that’s how it turned out. Moorak Sally, after sharing the lead early, took up the running and was never headed when defeating Herman The Brute by three-quarters of a length in 23.88 seconds.
“It was certainly a great thrill to win a race with a dog that we had purchased as a pup and then watched grow up,” Holmes said. “To be honest, if I could find a decent brood bitch I would not mind breeding a litter of my own.”
Meanwhile, Berringa trainer Michael Niele, after trebles at Tara Raceway on May 2 and July 4, landed another bag of three when Amali Moo, Property Mogul and Silver Streak were successful at last Thursday’s time-graded meeting.
By Aston Dee Bee out of Acoustic Lee, Property Mogul is a litter sister to Acoustic Flash, a winner of three races at Tara Raceway for Niele.
And Property Mogul looked pretty good when leading all the way from box one in the Icon Signs TG5+W Stake (400 m) for a 5½ length win over Compton Brockie in a best of day 23.08 seconds.
Silver Streak, a daughter of Cosmic Chief and Miss Heart, also impressed in the final race, the Produce Store TG1-4W Stake (400 m), with an all the way win over Hotfoot Swizzle in 23.26 seconds.
Majestic Max, Big Deb Osti and Rocket Susie made up Niele’s treble on May 2 and Rusty Wheels, Here For Glory and Big Deb Osti on July 4.
