Hamilton trainer Tony Harding broke a long run of outs at Tara Raceway last Thursday when pint-sized rank outsider Penshurst Lass was successful in the Greg Martlew Autos Maiden Stake (400 metres).
Lining up for start number 23, and with just one third-placing to her name, the 22.6 kilogram daughter of Lightning Frank and Jimary Siesta quickly settled in second spot behind Sea Storm Bay before taking the lead off the back.
From then on Penshurst Lass was never in any danger of defeat, going to the line with 2¼ lengths to spare over Menari Hugh in a personal best time of 23.89 seconds.
This was the litter’s sixth individual winner.
And it has to be said, Harding was certainly all smiles after the race but with no idea as to when he had trained his last winner.
“To be honest, I cannot remember when that was, so obviously it was a fair while ago,” he said.
“Turns out it was back on October 10, 2019 with Billy Deeds.”
Penshurst Lass is owned by Dennis Peach and Cathy Flaven who purchased the blue bitch as a pup from Penshurst breeder Brendan Bunworth.
She was then reared at Berringa Park by Michael Niele before being broken-in at Koroit by Peter Byrne.
Making her debut back in September at Horsham, the December 2019 whelping’s first win had been a while coming for The Blue Syndicate and Harding.
“I’d moved her around a bit in that time, also taking in Warrnambool and Murray Bridge. But my thoughts with greyhounds are that you just have to keep trying and never give up,” Harding said.
Incidentally, Harding also finished third in last week’s race with recent giveaway Flatty Hunter.
By Zambora Brockie out of Lektra Viki, she’s a litter sister to Lektra Nick and Lektra Sammy who later in the day brought up a double for Ararat trainer Doug Hammerstein.
Harding’s interest in greyhound racing goes back 25 years ago to when he was living at Branxholme and became involved with Tracie Price and his family.
But from a Mount Gambier point of view Harding will always be best remembered for his greyhound Jen Shen who raced on 207 occasions, the majority of those at Tara Raceway.
He says he still remembers that morning back in early 2015 when was at a trial track with former Tahara trainer Bernie Rogers and how he came to end up with Jen Shen.
“I was there helping him trial his dogs,” Harding said.
“However, the then unnamed Jen Shen was in the trailer and doing a great job of trashing her compartment.
“That was the last straw for Bernie who went off his head.
“He said I could have the bloody thing and promptly signed her over to me.”
Ultimately, in a four-year racing career Jen Shen won three races and ran 13 minor placings for stakemoney of $8841.
Like Harding says, though, you just have to keep trying and never give up.
Meanwhile, Heathmere trainer Garry Marshman, last successful at Tara Raceway two years ago with Crazy Old Bird and Crazy Old Duck, scored a tidy win with Jean Crisp last week in the Exchange Printers Stake (400 m).
Bred by Marshman and raced by his partner Vikki Jaensch, Jean Crisp is a daughter of Zinzan Brooke and Shotgun Doll, a grade five heat and final winner over 400 metres at Tara Raceway back in 2017.
He has a long association with the “Doll” line at the Mount Gambier track, Star Doll (a daughter of Flaming Doll) running a 400 metre track record of 23.05 seconds back on April 19, 2013.
“Shotgun Doll is a granddaughter of Flaming Doll.
Kerry and the Captain are really rocking
Local success with a couple of Victorian purchases in One Tonne and Gold Rocks has resulted in Captain Abbott and Kerry Hawker of Edenhope becoming further involved with the progeny of Pamela Rocks.
The litter brother and sister, who last raced at 40 kilograms and 34 kilograms respectively, are out of Pamela Rocks’ first litter – by Matt’s Entity, a winner of 49 races from 103 starts.
In April last year, Pamela Rocks whelped a second litter of four dogs and three bitches, this time by Fernando Bale.
And later, Abbott and Hawker purchased the entire litter, along with the dam.
Then, last month at Edenhope, Pamela Rocks whelped a litter of three dogs and five dogs to the Irish sire Premier Fantasy.
A winner over 650 metres at Shepparton back in 2018, Pamela Rocks is by Barcia Bale out of Vapour Whirl bitch Punk Rock Lass who when mated with the imported Kinloch Brae produced Rhonda Rocks.
And while Rhonda Rocks raced only twice for one win, from two matings with Fernando Bale she produced triple Group 1 winner Sennachie and Angle Park 730 metre record holder Frankie Boy.
