It’s taken a while – eight months since her first race start, in fact – for Menari Stenosis to open her winning account for Portland owner-trainer Brian Weis.

Lining up from box one in the Swallow Drive Meats Maiden Stake (305 metres), the daughter of Worm Burner and Xtreme Gift was having her 26th start – and looking to improve on three second-placings.

Last Thursday was to be her day.

Menari Stenosis showed her customary early pace when leading all the way and held on for a head win in 18.30 seconds over Out Of Rope, trained at Langhorne Creek by Tony Hinrichsen.

And no one was more surprised with the win than Weis who trained Xtreme Gift – a winner of eight races at Warrnambool, Horsham and Mount Gambier – and also bred Menari Stenosis’ litter.

“That was my first win this year and I certainly did not expect it with her,” he said.

“To be honest, I had given up hope of her ever winning a race.

“But she has a beautiful temperament and loves to race.

“And in her defence, she has suffered a few setbacks along the way, not the least being diagnosed with aortic stenosis at three months of age.

“That can cause fatigue and shortness of breath which is why she races only over 305 metres at Tara Raceway.

“Unfortunately there are now currently no 305 metre options open to her in Mount Gambier.”

Another trainer to be surprised by his greyhound’s win was Noel Perry of Mount Gambier after Rough Boy Jay was successful in the Carlin and Gazzard MG 1-4W Stake (400 m).

Chasing his first win in close to 12 months, the black dog quickly worked into second spot behind Zambora Jade before taking up the running off the back.

He then stormed home for a 6¼ length win in 23.24 seconds.

Perry said he had not really been expecting Rough Boy Jay to win given that he had not raced since November last year and was significantly heavier last Thursday than at his previous race start.

“He injured a triangle muscle at his last start and was brought back via walking, galloping on the Tara Raceway slipping track and one trial leading up to today’s race,” he said.

“The way he went to the line I do not reckon it will be too long before he moves up to 512 metres.”

Bred at Portland by Robert Halliday, Rough Boy Jay is by Bekim Bale out of Baurna Sal who won three races at Mount Gambier when trained by Weis.

Perry, who purchased Rough Boy Jay as a three month old pup, did the rearing at his Mount Gambier property and races him in partnership with his wife Heather.

Giveaway greyhound Diamond Carat – her previous win at Mount Gambier in September last year – impressed in the Klaassens Contractors 5+W Stake (400 m) when leading all the way and defeating Bourne Rose by 2½ lengths in 23.18 seconds.

The win was the middle leg of a treble for Langhorne Creek trainer Tony Hinrichsen who also won with Correlate and Loving The Cash.

Correlate won her first race for the year when defeating kennelmate Filthy Phantom by a half-length in the Todd’s Photographics 5+W Stake (400 m) in a time of 23.48 seconds.

Filthy Phantom is the rising seven-year-old who holds the Australian record for the most number of race starts – 334.

The son of Lochinvar Marlow and Ruby Swift also has sired two litters which are now approaching breaking-in age.

“They are out of Rusty Fury and Spring Leesa who raced on 124 and 177 occasions respectively.

“You’d reckon there might be a bit of durability amongst these two lots,” Hinrichsen said.

“And when 11-race winner Diamond Carat, who is a daughter of Kinloch Brae and Flash Glance, comes in season she also will be mated with Filthy Phantom.”

Edenhope-based Captain Abbott and Kerry Hawker of Cadillac Racing enjoyed a successful day when they both trained a double – Cadillac Patch/Another Cadillac and Kerry’s Cadillac/Cadillac Suh.

According to Abbott, as far as Another Cadillac is concerned it’s been a case of the daughter of Aussie Infrared and Olivia’s Ruby returning to where it all began.

“She kicked off her career at Tara Raceway back in March-April 2021 with three wins in succession over 400 metres,” he said.

“Three months later I sold her to local trainer Tracie Price who a few months after that moved her on to NSW where she won at Bathurst and Young.

“Then in August last year I noticed that she was being advertised as a giveaway.

I figured we did not have much to lose so we took up the offer and she found herself back in Edenhope.

“And since her return she has won another four races at Tara Raceway.”