Back at Tara Raceway last Thursday were Koroit training mates Peter Keane and Lindsay “Blue” Brookes, along with their partners – all more or less regulars at the time-graded meetings.
Last week featured the running of the two Fast Forward heats over 400 metres for 1-4 wins greyhounds. The fastest eight, irrespective of finishing positions, would be advancing to this week’s Category 2 prize money final.
And Brookes and Keane looked well served in the second of the two heats, the Cadillac Racing TG1-4W Stake, with the former represented by Lucky Me and Family Friend and Keane with Tested.
Parwan trainer Julie Green supplied half the field in the first heat, the Produce Store TG1-4W Stake. And it was her $11 chance Alice Express who settled in third spot before finishing over the top of Crymelon Ivy and the winner’s kennelmate Sudoku Shirley in a time of 24.06 seconds.
Given the race time it was perhaps conceivable the second heat could provide the majority of the finalists. Subject, of course, as to how things panned out in running.
As it turned out, $23 chance Family Friend went straight to the front box three and brought up his fourth win when holding out a fast finishing Tested while Lucky Me held on for third spot in a much quicker 23.47 seconds.
From the first heat, Alice Express made it through as did second-placed Crymelon Ivy, trained at Warracknabeal by Ian Bibby, president of the Horsham Greyhound Racing Club.
And Brookes and Keane’s runners, Family Friend, Tested and Lucky Me, made it through from the second heat along with Sooner Or Later, Cadillac Beast and Quantum’s Dream.
For Brookes, his first winner as an owner had been in May 1994 at Glenburnie with Turkey Lass, trained by the late Jim Williams. Keane went back somewhat earlier than that, his first winner being at Warrnambool in 1982.
Bred by Brookes, Family Friend is by Tommy Brislane out of Sunningdale who won eight races for media identity Geoff Slattery – also the owner of the sire.
A son of Premier Fantasy and Mary Virginia, Tommy Brislane won the 2014 Group 1 Dapto Megastar – “a good dogs’ race” – before breaking down several months later.
He served only a handful of bitches in Australia with Sunningdale being his last in 2021. However, he proved to be a success at stud when sent to Ireland.
Litter sisters give local trainer his best day at the track in many months
Back in the days of COVID, Glencoe trainer Dean Fennell became acquainted with Koroit trainer and greyhound educator Peter Byrne.
And with border restrictions in place the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club had been feeling the pinch numbers-
wise as far as its weekly race meetings had been concerned.
“But Peter was only too happy to help out. We used to meet at the border and bring a trailer-load back to race at Tara Raceway,” Fennell said.
That association has continued with Fennell enjoying one of his best days at Tara Raceway since December 2022 when he landed a Byrne-bred litter double at last Thursday’s time-graded meeting with Saint Sally and Saint Shell.
In the Commercial Hotel TG1-4W Stake (305 m), Saint Sally virtually led all the way from box six when defeating Can Get Thirsty by 1¾ lengths in 18.08 seconds.
Later in the Exchange Printers TG1-4W Stake (512 m), Saint Shell led all the way and held out Bourne Panama for a three-quarter length win in 30.45 seconds.
The litter sisters are by Tommy Shelby out of Mepunga Prue, a Victorian city winner of nine races and $36,000 in prize money. They also trace back to Group 1 winner Mepunga Hayley.
It was back on December 15, 2022 that Fennell landed a treble at a time-graded meeting with Glasgow Lass, Pirate Gold and wrapped it up with an exciting win by Zoe’s Way who defeated Four Longnecks by a neck over 512 metres in 30.01 seconds.
