It was back in June that Heathmere owner-trainer Garry Marshman was asked if he would be interested in a greyhound called Wasting Time.
By the Group-winning Hasten Slowly out of Forever Merry, a winner of 15 races and $22,000 in prize money, Wasting Time won her maiden at Geelong in April when trained by Margery Quick of Haddon.
Marshman said Quick, who also trains litter brother Loyalty Card, a winner of three races, was keen to move Wasting Time on and had offered to bring her over to Ballarat for him to have a look at when he was racing there on a Saturday morning.
“I duly caught up with Margery at the track and looking at Wasting Time I thought she might have something to offer so I took her back to Heathmere that morning,” Marshman said.
“Later I trialled her over 400 metres at Tara Raceway and she ran 23.70 seconds. I thought then that she was not altogether hopeless and there could be a race or two in her.”
But it was not until her ninth race start for Marshman that Wasting Time opened her winning account for him over 450 metres when successful at big odds at Warrnambool’s Monday meeting on September 25.
Then last Thursday at Tara Raceway she led all the way in the Williams Crane Hire TG1-4W Stake (400 m) when defeating Gypsy Tony by 4½ lengths in a smart 23.12 seconds and bringing up her second win for the week.
“I reckon at her recent starts she’s been jumping better and chasing a bit harder,” Marshman said. “And her times have certainly been getting quicker.”
Marshman also continues to hold out high hopes for Dud Cheque, a daughter of Hooked On Scotch out of five-race winner Stellina Rose.
“I purchased her as a pup because I was keen on the sire. I have to say I did get a bit excited about her when she trialled very quickly prior to her first race which she duly won at Warrnambool.
“Later she was being trained for a while at Ballarat where she won before returning home early in September. I certainly have not given up on her yet.”
Meanwhile, it was a case of the outsiders Saint Milly, Cawbourne Baxter and Dr.
Forest fighting out the Exchange Printers Fast Forward TG1-4W final (512 m).
In the run home it was $18 chance Saint Milly who finished the stronger for a three-quarter length win in 30.67 seconds for Koroit owner Peter Byrne and Glencoe trainer Dean Fennell.
For Fennell, it was his first win since July 20 when the black bitch had defeated Spot On Yvonne in a heat of a Fast Forward 512 metre series.
By Aston Kimetto out of Miss Lava, Saint Milly found her way into Fennell’s kennels in February this year after previous trainer Robert Walsh of Koroit had been successful with her in a maiden event at Warrnambool.
Texas Alexis made an impressive Mount Gambier debut in the Trackside Pet Meats Maiden Stake (400 m) when leading all the way and defeating Mister Cadillac by 4 ¾ lengths in a best of day 23.07 seconds.
By Barcia Bale out of Rasheda, the black bitch is owned by Tyson Panagiotou and trained out at Compton by Tracie Price.
And there’s certainly not too much wrong with the winner’s damline.
Rasheda, a daughter of My Bro Fabio and Born Ali, was a winner of 15 races and $104,000 in prize money while the Group-placed Born Ali won 20 races and more than $254,000 in prize money.
