Greyhound Racing SA’s Family Fun in the Sun promotion kicked off last Sunday night at Murray Bridge with the final of the $10,000 Sprint Classic over 395 metres which was won by Carry On Jack.


This is the second year that GRSA has sponsored the Family Fun in the Sun concept which incorporates SA’s four greyhound racing tracks.


The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club will follow Murray Bridge with its Family Fun Day meeting this coming Sunday (January 21) at Tara Raceway on Lake Terrace East, Mount Gambier.


Angle Park and Gawler will then conduct their Family Fun Day promotions on January 25 and 28 with Mount Gambier and Gawler also running $10,000 feature events while Angle Park’s will carry $14,000 in prize money.


But really, as far as the Family Fun Day is concerned it’s more about getting families to the track and less about the greyhound racing – despite the added prize money for the clubs’ nominated races.


What GRSA wants is to once again get families out to the tracks and enjoy a fun day.


Following an extensive advertising campaign, that was achieved last year and SA greyhound racing’s controlling body is hopeful of similar results this year.


As far as last year’s Family Fun Day at Mount Gambier was concerned, the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club really turned it on for the families.


Tara Raceway had never seen so many kids at one of its race days.


Actually it was a crowd worthy of a Mount Gambier Cup.


A bouncy castle, ice cream van and face painter received unprecedented patronage.


They’ll be back again on Sunday.


And the greyhounds also reckoned it was a good day with the kids lining up to pat them after they came off the track.


The age-restricted Summer Classic, first run at Tara Raceway in 2015, is Mount Gambier’s $10,000 race and is the second-richest race run at the track.


Run over 512 metres, this year’s Summer Classic is for all greyhounds whelped on or after January 1, 2022.


Last year’s inaugural $10,000 Summer Classic was won by Honey Rocks, owned in Adelaide by Ron Murch and trained locally by Tracie Price.


And Price will provide half of Sunday’s finalists – Myall Mate, Compton Kelly, Compton Lass and Wild Banker all qualifying following the running of last Sunday’s three heats.


Another local to be represented in the final is Jason Newman, trainer of Ethanol Tank – a son of the Irish sire Droopys Sydney – who ran second behind Myall Mate.


Also through to the final is Zip Along Lulu who finished third behind Canya Amy and Wild Banker in the third and final heat for Tara Raceway regular Tony Hinrichsen of Langhorne Creek.


Hinrichsen’s involvement with the Summer Classic actually goes back to 2016 and his greyhound called Menzel Boys who defeated Cairnlea Lewis in the final in 30.01 seconds.


Making up the final eight for this year’s Carlin & Gazzard Summer Classic is Big Yeti, a kennelmate of Canya Amy and trained at Rowsley by Matt Lanigan.


But that’s another story.


Meanwhile, Craig Grubb, the reigning Tara Tipsters champion, struck it lucky at last Sunday’s meeting when winning the Swallow Drive Meats members’ meat tray draw.


“To be honest, I was starting to wonder whether my marble was even in the barrel given that I had never won the meat tray.


Anyway, it worked out pretty well because I was all set to call into the butcher today on the way home from the track,” he said.


And speaking of the Tara Tipsters.


Acting GRSA CEO Ben Kavanagh was at last week’s Tara Raceway Thursday meeting to catch up with participants.


Kavanagh also signified a keen interest in becoming involved in the next Tara Tipsters charity-based competition.


Now, surely he’ll be a soft touch!