Three winners at Tara Raceway’s recent Sunday meeting certainly helped to make it a real family day for Dennington brother and sister greyhound trainers Dustin and Aimee Drew who were joined on track by mum Jan and Aimee’s three-year-old daughter Maisie.
The Aimee Drew-trained Aston Reims, on the back of three minor placings at Warrnambool, kicked off the siblings’ day with a win in the Rocks Tavern Maiden Stake (400 metres).
It was a case of the son of Fernando Bale and Aston Chandon keeping in touch early with the leader Cawbourne Joey and then finishing powerfully in the home straight for a 3¼ length win over Whipping Along in 23.33 seconds.
The Carlin & Gazzard Stake (512 m) might have been only a grade six affair but Dustin Drew’s Aminah – based at Dennington for less than a fortnight – was done no favours given the quality of the field.
Raced by the Massina family’s Country Mile Syndicate, and managed by Chelsea Madigan, Aminah and Lakeview Heather staged a great battle with the former eventually getting the nod by a nose in 29.78 seconds.
Given the length of time in his kennels, Drew was suitably impressed with the effort of the daughter of Barcia Bale and Bakali.
“I thought she handled herself pretty well today and hopefully there should be further improvement in her,” he said.
Drew had scored a good win with Aston Kalkara the previous week in a grade five heat over 512 metres and he looked the one to beat in the final – especially with the scratching of the other heat winner in Wild Star.
This turned out to be another entertaining two-dog race with Aston Kalkara travelling well on the rails behind Redshift Uniform who was bowling along in front in the Gordon Refrigeration Grade 5 final.
And turning for home the pair was on level terms before Aston Kalkara edged away in the straight for a length win in 29.77 seconds.
While there was no joy for Drew’s son of Aston Kimetto and Aston Upton in last Friday’s Horsham Cup heats, the 2023 Warrnambool Cup finalist might find the forthcoming Cadillac Racing Mount Gambier Cup at Tara Raceway more to his liking. Club bids fond farewell to Colombian couple It was back in June last year the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club (MGGRC) welcomed Fabio Cuervo as part of its kennel house race day and cleaning team.
It was an appointment well received by participants.
Fabio and his partner Sandra Soto had arrived in Melbourne from Colombia five years ago prior to relocating to Mount Gambier in May last year.
Later, Fabio gained full-time employment in Mount Gambier but Sandra, who worked with the elderly, also worked part-time at the greyhound club in the canteen and on the kennel house cleaning team.
Last week they returned to Colombia but not before MGGRC manager Mark Dwyer made a presentation on track, wishing them well and thanking the couple for their efforts at Tara Raceway.
And Sandra summed it up pretty well: “The Mount Gambier people are so nice.Many thanks for having us here at the Mount Gambier greyhounds.”
