Eaglehawk trainer Roselyn Nicholls currently has only one greyhound in work.
But that was all she needed when Rebel stepped out in the Commercial Hotel Stake at Tara Raceway last Thursday.
Standing in for his wife was Peter, at the Mount Gambier track for the first time with their well-bred daughter of Mepunga Blazer and Gold Vein, a city-winning stayer who won close to $50,000 in prize money.
And perhaps not surprisingly, Rebel found the 600 metre journey to her liking when leading all the way from box eight, eventually running out a two length winner over Compton Chloe in 35.35 seconds.
The win was the second for Roselyn Nicholls who took over the owning and training of the November 2019 black bitch in February.
“Actually, we only picked her up by pure chance after Daryl Holmes, of Black Shiraz fame, rang to see if we would be interested in having a go with Rebel who had been bred by his wife Lesley,” said Peter.
“Daryl, who has enjoyed a terrific run with Rebel’s litter brother El Dorado – a winner of 18 races and $174,000 in prize money – was of the opinion she might be better suited to a smaller kennel.
“We like to travel with our greyhounds and our first win with her was up in NSW on the grass track at Moree where she won a feature event over 551 metres.
“And we were pretty happy when she drew box eight here at Mount Gambier because she certainly likes to have things her own way in her races and also likes to race wide.”
Peter, who works at the Bendigo and The Meadows greyhound tracks, said he was hopeful of getting across to Mount Gambier with Roselyn in the near future for a 600 metre race at a Tara Raceway Sunday meeting.
Meanwhile, Kevin Finn, of Warrnambool, was another one-dog trainer who was successful at last Thursday’s meeting after Tamborine Girl scored an easy five length win over Misty Mia in the Hyland Fox Maiden Stake (305 m) in 18.16 seconds.
By Lightning Frank, Tamborine Girl is another of the Rixy Ya Pest litter to successfully find her way to Tara Raceway after encountering trouble on the track at Warrnambool and copping 28 days for a loss of concentration.
Previously it had been Lightning Pest who quickly adapted to the finish-on lure at Tara Raceway when winning in quick time.
Finn then took a similar path to that of Garry Elliott’s Lightning Pest when he ventured over to Mount Gambier with a blinkered Tamborine Girl in a bid to have her pass a satisfactory trial.
“I have to say, Tracie Price was very good and supplied a couple of dogs for the trial in order that Tamborine Girl could be cleared for racing,” Finn said.
For Finn, who was accompanied at last week’s meeting by his daughter Marita Byron, the win had been his first at Tara Raceway since June 23, 2022 when Orson Gift had been successful.
And it’s always a pleasure to catch up with the family when they make the trip over to Mount Gambier – Kevin Finn continuing to declare that he intends to keep his one-dog training operation going for as long as he can.
Filthy Phantom, an April 2016 son of Lochinvar Marlow and Ruby Swift, and Australia’s busiest-ever racing greyhound, sired his first winner last Thursday when Survive The Fury led all the way in the Carlin & Gazzard Maiden Stake (400 m).
In fact he sired the trifecta after Survive The Fury led all the way when defeating littermates Full On Fury and Phantom Fury by 6½ lengths and 7½ lengths respectively in a time of 23.45 seconds.
Later in the day, Filthy Phantom, looking to make a real day of it, went around for a 345th time when contesting the Winning Post Supplies Stake (400 m) but finished unplaced behind Noel Perry’s Rough In Vegas.
Owned and trained by Tony Hinrichsen of Langhorne Creek, Survive The Fury is out of Rusty Fury, the daughter of Barcia Bale and Destini Firebird racing on 124 occasions for 13 wins.
Filthy Phantom has a second litter follow – out of Bottled Fury, who is a litter sister to Rusty Fury and who went around on 166 occasions for 10 wins.
