Popular Koroit greyhound trainer Garry Anders – on his way to Tara Raceway last Thursday to race a team of five – found himself in a spot of bother as he approached the Glenburnie racecourse with one of his van’s tyres having sprung a leak.
And it soon became obvious to Anders that he was going to need help – and relatively quickly given the kennelling deadlines at Tara Raceway for the 12-race program.
The go-to man was always going to be Glencoe-based trainer Dean Fennell, always one of the first at the track and always totally organised. And it did not take Fennell long to locate Anders and his dogs and have them back at Lake Terrace East before the close of kennelling.
Then it was a case of dropping the tyre off to be repaired, later picking it up and then ensuring the Anders van was once again roadworthy before bringing it back to Tara Raceway.
Usually when days start out like this they do not end any better. But in the case of Anders, he did not fare too badly, ending the day with a double with littermates Freddy Deeds and Lucy Deeds.
By Bernardo out of Beaut Deeds, Freddy Deeds overcame a slow start from box one in the Williams Crane Hire TG5+W Stake (400 metres) before rounding up Pace To Burn turning for home and running out a 3¼ length winner in a best of day 23.07 seconds.
Lucy Deeds also lined up from box one in the following race, the Todd’s Photographics TG1-4W Stake (400 m), and fought out the race with younger half-brother Ernie Deeds who is by Sennachie. On the line 1½ lengths separated the pair in a time of 23.36 seconds.
Ernie Deeds is from a litter of 11 dog pups of which so far five have been named.
As far as Anders was concerned this was a day that ended much better than it began. And he was certainly most appreciative of Fennell’s good deeds of the day.
Langhorne Creek trainer Tony Hinrichsen was back again last week on the back of a win with Jukebox Duke at the previous time-graded meeting along with success with his partner Yvonne King’s black bitch Send It Sammy.
This time he doubled the result for owner Brad Frahn when Minnie Monster quickly found the front in the Da’Leni Meats TG1-4W Stake (305 m) before hanging on for a 1½ length win over Red To Burn in 18.00 seconds.
Then the Frahn-owned Jukebox Duke followed up with another 512 metre win when defeating Anna Rhode by a half-length in 30.12 seconds in the Cadillac Racing TG5+W Stake.
King’s Send It Sammy also followed up with consecutive wins, this time at the expense of Kerry’s Cadillac in the Commercial Hotel TG5+W Stake (400 m) in 23.44 seconds.
Yvonne’s Pick, chasing his first win since last August, brought up King’s double when defeating Solid Ground by 2¾ lengths in the Icon Signs TG5+W Stake (400 m) in 23.37 seconds.
By Jury out of Slipper’s Tee, Yvonne’s Pick was bred at McLaren Vale by long-time participant Barry Jones and reared on a one for one basis at Langhorne Creek by King and Hinrichsen.
And the Roberts family of Terang has kicked off the year pretty well at Tara Raceway.
On January 2 the Christian Roberts trained Aston Blend defeated Compton Wink over 400 metres in a quick 22.90 seconds. Then, a fortnight later the daughter of Hooked On Scotch and Aston Glow defeated Paw Dahlia in 22.97 seconds.
Catherine Roberts won with Duke Caboom and joint 400 metre record holder Lektra Tony on January 5, the former defeating Bulsara by 2¼ lengths over 400 metres in 23.10 seconds. Lektra Tony carved out another quick 400 metre run when defeating Come On Kilkenny by six lengths in 22.57 seconds.
Husband Mark was then successful at the January 16 meeting with Caesars Palace, the four-year-old blue dog settling in second spot in the Greg Martlew Autos TG5+W Stake (400 m) before railing through to take the lead turning for home.
On the line the son of Worm Burner and Outside Edge had 4¾ lengths to spare over Bungaloo Bruiser in 23.44 seconds.
Caesars Palace has now won four races at Bendigo, Warrnambool and Mount Gambier since joining Roberts’ kennel in July 2023.