Portland trainer Nifty Lenehan certainly could not be accused of rushing any of the Orson Allen x Cryer’s Harper litter into a race before they were ready.
After all, Mama Chicken, who turned three years old this month, was lining up in last Thursday’s Winning Post Supplies Maiden Stake (305 metres) at Tara Raceway at what was only her second race start.
The brindle bitch had kicked off her career earlier in the month when well beaten over 305 metres by 12¼ lengths.
But it was a different story last week when Mama Chicken, who jumped from box seven, settled in third spot behind early leader Aston Chief before finishing strongly in the home straight for a three-quarter length win in 18.07 seconds.
The win was the second for the litter after Mushy had been successful at Tara Raceway in May over 305 metres.
By Spud Regis out of Cryer’s Midget, Cryer’s Harper won 22 races at Tara Raceway for her trainer, the late Tom Cryer of Apsley.
Ironically, it was the win of Cryer’s Harper’s half-brother Cryer’s Ricky in the 2015 Summer Classic (512 m) that carried a stud service to Spud Regis and ultimately resulted in the Group 1 winner being used for Cryer’s Midget’s third and final litter.
A second litter out of Cryer’s Harper is by the US sire Kinda Cruel Red.
Whelped in June 2022, the six dogs and one bitch are yet to be named.
There have been a few rough results at recent Tara Raceway meetings.
And last week it was Cadillac Jilly who had race caller Liam Mulry bemoaning the fact the previous week he had selected the daughter of Stagger and Jilly Be Brave when she finished fourth.
Chasing her fourth win at start number 56, the Captain Abbott trained brindle and white bitch managed to keep out of trouble when racing wide and defeated Beast Storm by a length in the Carlin & Gazzard TG1-4W Stake (305 m) in 18.26 seconds.
Cadillac Jilly, last a winner back in June over 305 metres at $18, took her winning starting price to a new level when successful at $51.
The Commercial Hotel TG1-4W 8-dog final (400 m), which carried first prize money of $1065, turned out to be a bit of a messy affair.
But the Peter Byrne owned and Dean Fennell trained Saint Sally, a $13 chance, put herself in the right place at the right time and chased hard to the line for a 3½ length win over Turning Oak in 23.73 seconds.
Ironically, Saint Sally, a daughter of Tommy Shelby and Mepunga Prue, went into the final for the Glencoe-based Fennell having qualified as the eighth fastest runner of the two heats in a time of 23.93 seconds.
The litter was bred at Koroit by Byrne and also includes Grand Tourer, a winner of 19 races and $80,000 in prize money.
And last Saturday night the brindle and white dog contested a heat of the Melbourne Cup (515 m) at Sandown Park for trainer Kelly Bravo.
Complementing the 400 metre final was the Cadillac Racing TG1-4W final over 512 metres.
Originally set down to be run as a heats and final series, a one-off $1215 to the winner final was run due to insufficient nominations being received.
And in what was another rough result, Yadillah Warrior, owned and trained at Portland by Robert Halliday, was a strong winner over Rough Girl Mel by 2¾ lengths in 30.35 seconds.
Odds-on favourite Rough Girl Mel opened up a handy break early while Yadillah Warrior, yet to win over 512 metres in 17 starts, settled in third spot down the back.
Yadillah Warrior ($14) then made his move off the back and in the home straight the son of Raw Ability and Sea Mist finished strongly to bring up his third win in 27 starts.
Meanwhile, the six-month trial of Best to Worst time-graded meetings on the first Thursday of each month will conclude in December.
The Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club said this week that participant response had suggested the Worst to Best time-graded format worked better when it came to the placement of lower-grade greyhounds at Tara Raceway Thursday meetings.
