It’s probably fair to say that Adelaide greyhound owner Marg Dunstan, accompanied by her husband Leon, recently made a first-time trip to Tara Raceway to primarily watch Adelong contest the Cadillac Racing Mixed Stake (512 metres).


After all, the daughter of Fernando Bale and Bonnie Beauty had been something of a revelation at the Mount Gambier track for North Bendigo trainer Aaron Blake.

Adelong, the greyhound who goes around wearing a one-blinker muzzle, had won seven races at the local track this year over four distances – 400 m, 512 m, 600 m and 732 m.

But the recent Sunday meeting was not to be her day.

So, for Marg and Leon Dunstan, it was going to be a case of pinning their hopes on Adelong’s litter sister and kennel mate Blazing Beth later in the day in the Exchange Printers Stake (600m).

Mind you, Blazing Beth had won only one race from 45 starts.

But a 35.39 seconds third placing behind Mr. Ibrox over 600 metres the previous week certainly put her in the mix.

And that’s how it turned out.

She jumped straight to the front from box two and was never headed, eventually running out a 1½ length winner over Rusty Zan in a tidy 35.29 seconds.

For Marg Dunstan the win was the continuation of a successful involvement with greyhounds which stems back some 12 years and to a cruise ship holiday.

“It was on the cruise that I met up with Pam from Geelong and Luba from Lara,” she said.

“We became friends and somehow at some stage the conversation turned to greyhound racing.

“Later we formed the Marpalu Syndicate which is made up of our Christian names and we have been racing greyhounds ever since – including Bonnie Beauty.

“We’re now looking forward to racing some of her third litter – by Kinloch Brae and whelped in March 2021.”

Incidentally, Bonnie Beauty, a staying daughter of Cosmic Rumble and Come On Luann, raced on 33 occasions for 15 wins and $66,000 in stakemoney.

Fast forward seven days and the Blake brothers – Aaron, Khris and Calum – were back at Tara Raceway with Adelong and Blazing Beth.

This time, though, the pair was racing in the Commercial Hotel Mixed Stake over 600 metres.

And this time Adelong did not mess up the start.

In fact, first time past the post and the 25 kilogram bitch was already serving it up to Kingsville Flyer, the $2.40 favourite.

Then, it was a case of continuing to apply the pressure until well into the home straight before finishing the stronger to win by three-quarters of a length in a personal best time of 34.97 seconds.

Adelong continues to make Tara Raceway her own – eight wins from 12 starts.

In fact, it’s the only track that she has won on.

Last Sunday was certainly one of her better wins and one the Marpalu girls could be well proud of.

Time-graded day turns

out okay for Koroit

owner-trainer


As far as Koroit owner-trainer Rob Walsh was concerned last Thursday’s time-graded Rocks Tavern Stake (400 metres) did not go quite to plan.


Back at Tara Raceway for the first time in a couple of months, Walsh had littermates Okay Bronson and Okay Flash – by Aston Dee Bee out of eight-race provincial winner Gold Air – engaged in the same 1-4 wins

event.

“To be honest, I thought Okay Bronson was the pick of my two because Okay Flash, after shrugging off a series of injuries, was having her first run in more than three months,” he said.

But it was Okay Flash who headed Okay Bronson, the pair settling in second and third spot behind Virage Volante before taking over in the home straight.

The former eventually ran out a 1¾ length winner over her litter brother in 23.82 seconds.

Walsh took over the training of the pair for a Victorian syndicate 12 months ago but after the owners wanted out he took over the littermates on a giveaway basis.

Collectively they have now won four races.