It was back in early August last year that North Bendigo trainer Aaron Blake had Sarah Louise engaged at Tara Raceway in a Mixed 3/4/5 Stake over 512 metres.
But on a day that had not gone to plan, the daughter of Aston Dee Bee and Lady Pandora suffered a nasty fall which saw her off the scene for more than five months.
Come last Thursday and the trainer’s brother, Khris, was up at 2am in order to organise things before heading off to Mount Gambier with wife Beck, 7-year-old son Wynston and Sarah Louise who was back at the local track for the first since her fall.
And this time the outcome was somewhat different, the black bitch at start number 50 leading all the way from box four in the Metal Worx TG5+W Stake (512 m) for a 2¼ length win over Cadillac Patch in a time of 30.25 seconds.
All told, Sarah Louise has now won six races, five of those since joining Blake’s kennels in July 2023.
It was back in 2022 that Blake had won 10 races over three distances at Tara Raceway with his handy little bitch Adelong who raced in a one-blinkered muzzle.
And also sporting a one-blinkered muzzle is Black Jester, a litter brother of Sarah Louise, and a winner of four races at Tara Raceway for Blake.
He said there had been a few issues with Black Jester along the way, including a couple of failing to chase offences at Shepparton and Bendigo.
“The one-blinkered muzzle certainly helped Adelong and I believe Black Jester also benefited from racing in a similar type of muzzle.”
Also in Sarah Louise and Black Jester’s litter is Black Viper, owned locally by David Peckham, and trained at Briagolong by Matt Clark.
The black dog is a winner of 20 races and more than $62,000 in prize money.
Adelong, Sarah Louise, Black Jester and Black Viper trace back on the dam’s side to Come On Luann, a Sandown Park and The Meadows winner.
Meanwhile earlier last Thursday, Maybe Time, on the back of a third and eighth placing at Warrnambool over 390 metres, opened her winning account when leading all the way from box seven in the Gordon Refrigeration Maiden Stake (305 m).
Owned and trained by the mother and son team of Beryl and Peter Fulton of Ecklin South, Maybe Time had 2¾ lengths to spare over kennelmate and litter brother Maybe Furgus in a time of 18.08 seconds.
Also bred by the Fultons, the winner and runner-up are by Fabregas out of giveaway brood bitch Sixteen Pegs, a litter sister to Mepunga Cruzer.
The win was Peter Fulton’s first at Tara Raceway since May 26, 2022 when Pirate Paddy had been successful. But his involvement with Tara Raceway goes back somewhat further than that.
Back in October 2018 after Mick’s Advice had won at The Meadows on the previous Saturday night, Fulton would have been hoping for a big weekend with Noosa Parade looking well placed in a grade five 512 metre event the following day at Tara Raceway.
But the son of Collision and Miss Black Fern, chasing his first win in six months in the Produce Store Stake, fell on the first turn.
Back a week later, Noosa Parade, this time looking even better placed from box one in a grade five event, appeared to have the job ahead of him when mid-field down the back – especially with Brinza bowling along like a winner out in front.
However, the black dog, obviously showing no ill effects from the previous week, loomed large on the home turn.
He then railed through to score a big win, albeit by only a neck, over Addison’s Way and Brinza in 30.11 seconds.
“He just loves this place,” said the beaming then 23-year-old trainer.
