Toolong trainer Phil Lenehan enjoyed his most successful day at Tara Raceway in 2½ years when Pengin Pat, Lektra Tony and Lektra Tinsel were successful at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s recent Sunday meeting.
Penguin Pat, who had finished second back in December at his only other start over 600 metres at the track, went one better when holding out Ethanol Tank for a three-quarter length win in the Klaassens Contractors Mixed Stake in 35.47 seconds.
By Ritza Lenny out of eight-race winner It’s A Shame, the NSW-bred white and black dog was part of a package deal which saw Lenehan purchase two of the 14-week-old litter for $900 each.
In the Greg Martlew Autos Juvenile Stake (400 m), Lektra Tony led all the way and defeated Mostly by three lengths in a very tidy 23.04 seconds.
Twice a winner last month at Warrnambool over 390 metres, Lektra Tony is by Houdini Boy out of the Victorian city-winning sprinter Lektra Jena.
And bringing up a treble was Lektra Tinsel, a daughter of Dyna Chancer and Uptown Funk, who defeated a smart field in the Hyland Fox Mixed Stake (512 m).
Opening up a big break early over Lektra Tinsel was Mister Cadillac, still chasing his first win over 512 metres.
But the Lenehan owned and trained fawn bitch was too strong in the run home, scoring by 1¾ lengths and bringing up her 13th win in a personal best time of 29.67 seconds.
The treble was the long-time trainer’s first at Tara Raceway since July 18, 2021 when he had been successful with Lektra Violet, Where’s Goose and Lektra Moon.
Making it a big day for the Lenehan boys was Santa Barbara who scored an impressive win for Portland-based brother Neville when leading all the way in the Exchange Printers Stake (400 m) and defeating Victa Bob by 5½ lengths in a close to best of day 23.00 seconds.
By Bernardo out of Boomer Hargen, a litter sister to Pamela Rocks, the 2023 Mount Gambier leading brood bitch, Santa Barbara had been chasing her second win at start number 20 – her maiden win coming at Warrnambool in April last year.
Meanwhile, last Thursday’s time-graded first time two-heat Fast Forward series for 1-4 wins over 400 metres did not go quite to plan.
Designed to cater for the “bottom end of the scale” 1-4 wins greyhounds, the first heat – in theory the slower of the two – resulted in Lakeview Heather running out a 16½ length winner in a best of day time of 23.02 seconds.
And with the fastest eight runners from the two heats, irrespective of finishing positions, advancing to this week’s final what this meant was that Lakeview Heather finished up the only finalist from the first heat – the Commercial Hotel Stake.
Cadillac Burns, trained at Edenhope by Captain Abbott, pretty well led all the way in the second heat – the Metal Worx Stake – when defeating Gypsy Tony by a length in 23.47 seconds.
So in the end, how it all worked out was Quantum King, second placegetter in the first heat, clocked 24.17 seconds while the seven runners in the second heat ranged in finishing order from 23.47 seconds to 24.01 seconds.
By Fernando Bale out of Lakeview Grace, Lakeview Heather has now won two races from three starts for trainer Tracie Price and his daughter Sarah at Tara Raceway after winning her maiden at Sale back in October.
Previously, Price had won six races at Mount Gambier and Murray Bridge with the Mo Canala-owned Lakeview Jet, a son of Bernardo and Lakeview Maisey, a litter sister to Lakeview Grace.
And Koroit trainer Peter Keane finally broke through for a maiden win at start number 19 with Can Get Thirsty in the Winning Post Supplies Stake (305 m).
A litter sister to recent Tara Raceway winner Moonlight Sid, the daughter of Shima Shine and Lulumon virtually led all the way from box two when defeating Aston Jack by 1½ lengths and clocking a personal best time of 17.91 seconds.
