Four winners last Thursday at Tara Raceway’s time-graded meeting for Lew and Julie Green and Troy Walters and Crystal Verde completed a good day – and a good month – at the Mount Gambier track for the Parwan-based training team.
All told, they trained nine winners locally at the August Thursday meetings.
Lew Green kicked off the day with Locked who scored a half-length win over On The Northerns in the Gambier Vets Stake (600 metres) in 35.67 seconds.
On The Northerns, having his first start over the middle distance for Langhorne Creek trainer Tony Hinrichsen, opened up a big break early before Locked finished strongly in the home straight.
By Keybow out of Velvocity Lilly, the win was the first for Locked since October 27 when he defeated Myola Queen at Tara Raceway.
The win was also the first for Green who took over the training of the black dog in March.
The 600 metre Special Event was only the third middle distance race run at a Tara Raceway Thursday meeting this year – local trainer David Peckham winning twice in January with Midnight Bandit.
And Eaglehawk trainer Roselyn Nicholls was successful with Rebel on April 27 in a time of 35.35 seconds.
Green then made it a running double when Al’s Estafania, at his fifth race start, made the most of a messy race when defeating Tails Turbo by 2 lengths in the Klaassens Contractors Maiden Stake (305 m) in 18.76 seconds.
Come race seven, the Carlin & Gazzard TG1-4W Stake (512 m), and the Julie Green trained Cawbourne Gia brought up her second win at Tara Raceway.
Always on the pace from box four, the daughter of Lucky Chap and Cawbourne Zulu found the front down the back straight before running out a two length winner over Redshift Papa in 30.60 seconds.
Newcomers Walters and Verde – who have two greyhounds in work and share the Green’s kennels – landed their first winner when Cawbourne Dior quickly took over the running from box one in the Cadillac Racing TG1-4W Stake (400 m).
In the end, Cawbourne Dior, by Orson Allen out of Cawbourne Krusty, ran out a 6 length winner over Magic Zimba in a time of 23.65 seconds.
“Both our families had been involved in greyhound racing so both Troy and I were aware of what the sport was all about,” Verde said.
“We only received our licences in July and have really enjoyed coming over here to Mount Gambier with Lew and Julie.
Also, Troy’s 14-year-old son Kayden is now awaiting his catcher’s licence.”
Meanwhile, Jukebox Duke and Spot On Yvonne turned on a repeat performance in the Fast Forward Mixed Series final over 512 metres.
The previous week Jukebox Duke hung on to defeat Spot On Yvonne by three-quarters of a length in what was the faster of the two heats – 30.24 seconds.
In the Category 2 final last Thursday the race played out the same with Jukebox Duke once again hanging on for another win by the same margin in 30.56 seconds.
Trained at Langhorne Creek by Tony Hinrichsen, Jukebox Duke is owned by long-time kennel client – Mypolonga-based Brad Frahn who also reared and broke-in members of the Zipping Garth x Mercedes Monelli litter.
Whelped in January 2022, Jukebox Duke is an ideal age for next February’s Mount Gambier age-restricted Summer Classic, a race Hinrichsen won back in 2016 with Menzel Boys.
And Crusoe Kid broke through for his second win this year at Tara Raceway when successful in the Commercial Hotel TG5+W Stake (400 m).
Away only fairly from box two, the son of Magic Sprite and Midnight Osti managed to find the front off the back before racing away to 4¼ length win over Irish Brandy in 23.54 seconds.
Bred and trained by Michael Niele of Berringa, Crusoe Kid is owned by the Abela family who purchased the black dog as a pup.
