Agood week for local greyhound owners and trainers at away tracks kicked off on the Tuesday at Horsham where Mr. Anderson won the $3470 to the winner Shima Shine At Stud Stake (485 metres) for Moorak-based part-owner Jason Newman.
Rebecca Gibbons of Avalon trains the son of Bernardo x Dusseldorp whose career commenced with a 10½ length win over 305 metres at Tara Raceway in June last year.
He has now won 15 races.
And at Warrnambool on Thursday night, Aston Cherokee opened his winning account at start number four for Compton-based trainer Tracie Price when holding out Proper Fast in the Macey’s Bistro Maiden over 390 metres.
The win, in 22.59 seconds, was worth $1680 to the connections of the son of Fernando Bale x Aston Nova who previously had run three second placings over 400 metres at Tara Raceway.
The following day at Murray Bridge, the Bartholomew family’s Devilish Child broke through for a win over 455 metres in the $1160 to the winner Greyhounds As Pets Stake.
For the Worrolong-based daughter of Blue Moon Rising and Galactic Destiny, the win over Blue Intensity in 25.60 seconds came on the back of two recent second placings at the track and distance.
Later in the day Bourne Nicko, a litter brother to Mr. Anderson and trained at Allendale East by David Peckham, was too good for the Lewiston-based Rolling Riot who had been successful at Tara Raceway the previous Sunday.
Away well from box seven in the Rural City of Murray Bridge Stake (395 m), which carried winner’s prize money of $1010, Bourne Nicko finished strongly to hold out Rolling Riot for a three-quarter length win in 22.57 seconds.
But Peckham’s day was not over just yet.
On Friday night at Traralgon, Black Viper was contesting the Sportsbet Final (1-4 Wins) over 450 metres which carried a first prize of $3540.
Owned by Peckham, Black Viper is trained at Briagolong by Matt Clark.
And after a keen tussle with Winking Willie, the son of Aston Dee Bee and Lady Pandora ran out a three-quarter length winner in 24.90 seconds.
“Initially he actually went over to Victoria for some re-education,” Peckham said.
“But he remained there to be trained by Matt and that’s worked out pretty well with placings at Sale, Warragul and Sandown Park prior to a heat and final win at Traralgon.”
Actually, it was a couple of good days for Peckham.
At Tara Raceway’s time-graded meeting on Thursday it was Bourne Nancy, another of the Bernardo x Dusseldorp litter, who led all the way in the Progreyhoundtips.com TG5+W Stake (400 m).
Owned and trained by Peckham, Bourne Nancy brought up her tenth win when defeating Kerry’s Cadillac by 1¾ lengths in 23.42 seconds.
And Classy Shot finally ran up to some of his early trial form when winning the Greg Martlew Fast Forward final (512 m) and collecting the Category 2 prize money of $1160.
Raced by the Bald and Lapinskas Syndicate, and trained by Peckham, the son of Spring Gun and Daisy Maree led all the way from box eight when registering an impressive 5¼ length win over Cawbourne Gia in 29.83 seconds.
Meanwhile, a Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) Day was conducted at Tara Raceway last Saturday.
An initiative of Greyhound Racing SA, GAP SA is a non-profit organisation dedicated to finding homes for both retired and non-racing greyhounds and also educating the public about the gentle nature of the breed.
Through increased public awareness, GAP SA is endeavouring to educate people about greyhounds by showing them as they really are – affectionate, gentle animals that thrive on human companionship.
Established in 1997, GAP SA’s mission is to ensure that all unraced and retired greyhounds are afforded the opportunity of finding a permanent, loving home.
Speaking after the event, Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club president, Noel Perry, said while there had been no shortage of greyhounds, interest in adoption had been minimal from those in attendance.
“While it’s probably fair to say there had been a fair bit happening in Mount Gambier last weekend the overall response had been disappointing.
But we’ll keep on persevering,” he said.
