Racing was off to a flying start at last Thursday’s Mount Gambier time-graded meeting at Tara Raceway when maiden greyhound Sweet Secret opened her winning account in the Klaassens Contractors Stake over 305 metres.
Owned and trained at Southern Cross by Ray Mahony, Sweet Secret led all the way from box four when defeating Bounce To Burn by 7½ lengths in 17.41 seconds.
The win was the first at Tara Raceway for Mahony – involved in the game for more than 50 years – since Fend Them Off in August last year.
Sweet Secret’s was a quick run given the track record is 17.28 seconds and Aston Olenna had been one of the quickest maiden winners with a time of 17.49 seconds recorded back in early 2021. By US sire SH Avatar, Sweet Secret is out of seven-race winner Zipping Tatum and was bred at Seaspray by Sue Boreland who had previously sold pups to Mahony.
“Actually, I had been down on numbers a bit when Sue rang back in August. She asked me if I would be interested in this giveaway dark brindle bitch who had raced just the once back in July when she had run seventh at Warragul,” he said.
“Sweet Secret had her first run for me at Warrnambool in November when running a good second. Then at her next start, at the same track, she pulled up.
“So it was back to the drawing board and I decided to trial her behind the finish-on-lure here at Mount Gambier. And while she’s still a work in progress, a couple of her trials in 17.50 seconds and 22.80 seconds (400 m) suggested she was ready to win a race.”
For Murtoa owner-trainer Josh McDonald it was a case of being in the right place at the right time when it came to Aphrodite Sally.
In McDonald’s kennels for only a week, the daughter of Out Of Range and Crimson Sally settled in third spot from box two in the Greg Martlew Autos TG1-4W Stake (400 m) before finding the front turning for home.
And having her first run at the track over the short course, the blue brindle bitch finished off the race nicely for a two length win over Cadillac Gas in 23.51 seconds.
“Jack Trengove had been here last week with Aphrodite Sally for Don Turner,” McDonald said.
“And after she had run fourth over 512 metres he mentioned Don was looking to give her away if I was interested.
“I told Jack that I would give the offer a miss but as I was travelling home I decided maybe I could do worse and wouldn’t mind having a go with her. So I rang Jack, confirmed that he would be coming through Penola and picked her up there.”
In Canya Catch Me, Compton trainer Tracie Price, following the running of the Cadillac Racing TG5+W Stake (512 m), could have yet another Mount Gambier Cup contender.
A winner of five races at Maitland and Goulburn and up the straight at Richmond, the son of Barcia Bale and Spritley Ebony opened his winning account at Tara Raceway in the Cadillac Racing TG5+W Stake.
Leading all the way from box one, Canya Catch Me scored a comfortable 5½ length win over Pat The Rat in a best of day time of 29.65 seconds.
“I was certainly pretty happy with the run and from a Mount Gambier Cup point of view we’ll certainly be giving the event plenty of consideration,” Price said.
And Edenhope trainer Cap Abbott finally broke through for a win with Argyle Kinloch in the Carlin & Gazzard TG1-4W Stake (400 m).
Purchased by Abbott at the end of last year, the daughter of Kinloch Brae and Zita defeated Mr. Flash by 2¼ lengths in what was a stylish win in 23.13 seconds.
“It’s taken a while for her to find form,” Abbott said.
“But having won a couple of 500 metre races at Bendigo last year I reckon the time is probably right to step her up in distance.”
This week’s Fast Forward TG1-4W final (512 m) should be an interesting affair with Sweet Lynette and Burn The Bend fighting out the first heat in 30.14.
And in the second heat, the Lenehan Lektra dominance spilt over into the time-graded meeting when Lektra Lyanna defeated Blue Phoenix by three lengths in 29.99 seconds.
