Alast-minute decision by Tailem Bend trainer Bob Fletcher to return to Tara Raceway last week with Springvale Anna and Dorrigo McLaren ended up being a good move for all concerned.

The week prior, Fletcher and Adelaide-based part-owners Kay Gillett and Darren Fulwood had brought the pair down for their first look at the Mount Gambier track.

“Considering it had been their first time here the runs had not been too bad,” said Fletcher, still chasing his first win at Tara Raceway but whose involvement in greyhound racing goes back some 50 years – the past 16 on a regular basis.

“Springvale Anna had led in the distance race (732m) before running fourth while we were pleased with Dorrigo McLaren’s effort to run third over 512 metres behind a couple of handy types in Bangor Lizzy and Maybe Wrong.

“Initially we were not coming down again for a few weeks but after their first-up efforts at the track we figured a quick turnaround might work in their favour.”

And it certainly did.

Springvale Anna, dropping back to 600 metres, in direct contrast to the previous week found herself still at the rear down the back straight in the Greg Martlew Autos Mixed Stake before finishing powerfully for a 2¼ lengths win over Hot Diamond in 35.67 seconds.

By Worm Burner out of 18-race winner Springvale Cool, Springvale Anna is raced by Don and Helen Foster – well known for their long and successful involvement with the “McLaren” greyhounds – in partnership with Gillett and Fulwood.

Speaking after the race, a delighted Fulwood said the blue brindle bitch had been a good pick-up and given the four owners a lot of fun.

“She was purchased for $6400 a bit over 12 months ago after being advertised on line by her breeder Gavin Harris,” he said.

“At the time she had just strung together three wins in succession at Gawler and Angle Park over 643 metres and 600 metres.

“Since then she has won a further nine races for Bob, including three distance races at Angle Park and two over 680 metres at Murray Bridge.”

Dorrigo McLaren looked anything but a greyhound that had won only four races from 58 starts when leading all the way in the Metal Worx Stake (512m) and defeating Galactic Anubis by three lengths in a best of day 29.78 seconds.

By Barcia Bale out of 16-race winner Zara McLaren, Dorrigo McLaren was bred by Helen Foster who also owns the black dog which has now been in Fletcher’s kennels for 12 months.

Interestingly, Zara McLaren’s sire was the Foster-bred Token Prince, a son of Malawi’s Prince and their terrific bitch True Temptation who was a granddaughter of the great stayer Bay Road Queen.

This was certainly SA breeding at its best.

Fletcher’s double last week had him thinking long and hard as to when his last training double had actually been.

“I reckon it was at Angle Park with Speedy Jabarck and Scorchin’ Lil. But I have got no idea when it was,” he said.

These, in fact, were the dogs and it was an Angle Park Wednesday meeting on December 21, 2016.

More work on the drawing board

Greyhound Racing SA Strategic Projects Manager, Scott Wuchatsch, has provided the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club with a further update on current, impending and future projects for the club.

“I will be engaging with the club to confirm the current project list is correct.

“In addition, I have thrown in some possible projects – some of them quite aspirational – for the benefit of future discussion and planning,” he said.

“Expansion of the wash bay area and improvements to the track CCTV network should be completed by the end of the year.

“And by the end of January, a sectional camera should be installed and the maintenance shed expansion completed.”

Interestingly, the installation of pre-meeting empty out yards at Tara Raceway, first mooted some years ago, are expected to be completed by the end of March.

Pre-meeting empty out yards are common at many Victorian tracks.

Wuchatsch said high on the list of future projects were a Regupol flooring system in the kennel house, formalisation of a road link between car parks and a new lure rail (SafeChase lure requirement).

“And as a medium priority is a full track rebuild (modern design principles).

“I guess you could say that’s one of the aspirational projects,” he said.

“Other projects to be considered down the track include a track lighting system, new video wall/semaphore board and trainers’ car park shade sails.”