From January next year, Emily McKinnon, currently a steward with the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club, as well as involved with Racing Integrity and Animal Welfare, will adopt the fresh start effect.

Not only will the 27-year-old Strathdownie-based McKinnon marry Luke Sinclair, a truck driver and mustering contractor, but she will take on the role of head steward at Mount Gambier’s Tara Raceway track.

Formerly a veterinary nurse with Limestone Coast Vets in Mount Gambier, McKinnon’s initial involvement with local greyhound racing came about after she took on a two days a week casual position as a steward.

“Later, at the end of August, I was fortunate enough to gain a full-time position which included stewarding, Racing Integrity and Animal Welfare,” she said.

McKinnon was not altogether a stranger to greyhound racing given her mother-in-law Paula Sinclair and father John Corrigan had raced greyhounds in NSW and Queensland.

“One of their better greyhounds had been Uno Nangar who won 19 races and close to $150,000 in prize money.”

McKinnon said her time at Tara Raceway now included two race days a week as well as a trial day and visits to local trainers’ kennels.

“I am really enjoying my involvement in greyhound racing and look forward to catching up with more of the local greyhound fraternity after settling into the new role next year.”

Maiden quinella for littermates

Princetown owner-trainer April Janssen’s involvement with legendary Mepunga breeder Barry Smith goes back to a greyhound called Swift Gift who apparently had been a little suspect over any distance further than 450 metres.

But by the time the daughter of Aston Rupee and Mepunga Bella was retired last month she had won 13 races up to 512 metres for Janssen and more than $30,000 in prize money.

And while all this was going on, Smith had also given her a three-month-old litter brother and sister by Plaintiff out of Osprey Rose who won 17 races and $73,000 in prize money.

They were to be raced by Smith’s wife Andrea in partnership with Janssen who reared the littermates and then broke-in the black dog and black bitch at Peter Byrne’s education track at Koroit.

At last Thursday’s time-graded meeting at Tara Raceway, the dog – now known as Affray – lined up from box three for his third start following a third placing at the local track and a fourth at Warrnambool.

As it turned out, his litter sister Brass Band was having her first start in the same race, the Trackside Pet Meats Maiden Stake (305 m), from box five.

And the littermates virtually fought out the race after Affray took up the early running from his sister before going on to a 1¾ length win in 18.02 seconds.

Meanwhile, veteran chaser Cadillac Landau, whose 116 starts have all been at Tara Raceway, brought up her 20th win in the Collins Court Butcher TG5+W Stake (305 m).

Owned and trained at Edenhope by Kerry Hawker, Cadillac Landau – the rank outsider at $13 – quickly found the front from box five before running out a 1½ length winner over Aston Ramona in 18.22 seconds.

By Premier Fantasy out of Pamela Rocks, Cadillac Landau’s win – her first since March – also brought with it a $50 Collins Court Butcher voucher for Hawker.

Another winner on the day with 100+ starts to her name was the Noel Perry owned and trained Rough Girl Slim who brought up her 11th win in the Federal Hotel TG5+W Stake (400 m).

Leading all the way from box one, the daughter of My Redeemer and Vossy scored a 3¼ length win over Magic Nancy in 23.29 seconds.

Also on track to enjoy the win was Perry’s daughter Nicola who answers to the name of Slim and who Rough Girl Slim had been named after.

And former Tara Raceway track record holder Giant’s Flash’s mating with Spot On Cinta produced a double for the Price family following wins by Cinta’s Gold and Flash Marshall.

Cinta’s Gold, a $15 chance, defied her odds when scoring a dominant 4¼ length win in the Icon Signs TG1-4W Stake (400 m) over What Odds Billy in 23.10 seconds.

Then, later in the day, Flash Marshall and Pickle Head matched motors throughout in the Produce Store TG1-4W Stake (305 m) with the former scoring a head win in 17.98 seconds.

Incidentally, Spot On Cinta is daughter of Black Magic Opal and Cintiarna who won 23 races and $285,000 in prize money.

Locally-based Robert Stafford and his wife Janet are a couple of the better known regulars at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s Thursday and Sunday greyhound racing meetings at Tara Raceway.

In fact, such is their regularity at the track that they even have their own reserved table situated in a prime spot in the clubrooms.

He’s also a member of the Tara Tipsters who support local charities by way of ongoing tipping competitions. And he can actually lay claim to having finished in first place in one of the charity-based competitions.

Then there’s the weekly Sunday afternoon Pick 6 competition. Free to on-course patrons, the Pick 6 requires contestants to select the winners of races three through to eight.

Sponsored by Karen and Tracie Price of Trackside Pet Meats, the Pick 6 starts off at $100 and is capped at $500.

The last time the Pick 6 had been won was on April 13 last year when Kevin Douglas, running a week late, picked up $100 after selecting the six winners.

The previous week, Kevin Patzel had collected $500 after Way Cool, Muster, Royal Nangar, Minnie’s My Mum, Mikaela’s Joy and Aston Gozo won the designated races.

Stafford had been unsuccessfully submitting Pick 6 entry forms for as long as he has been attending the greyhound meetings on Lake Terrace East. But last Sunday things took a turn for the better.

His first leg got off to a shaky start after Slippery Gypsy won the Metal Worx Stake (305 m) by a head. Still, it won and Stafford was still “alive”.

Then Trackside Tim won the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Stake (305 m) and Huntsman followed up with a win in the Williams Crane Hire Open Stake (305 m).

So, three races down and Stafford had selected three winners. Mind you, there had been many Sunday afternoons that he had still been in the running at the half-way mark.

Divine Poppy then won the Federal Hotel Stake (400 m) and Rock It Roger’s win in the Klaassens Contractors Mixed Stake (400 m) had Stafford as the only remaining “live” Pick 6 contestant.

Favourite for the final leg, the Ontrack Insider Mixed Stake (512 m), was Compton Ava. But Stafford opted for the second favourite in Kia Keeping – a winner at Tara Raceway over all five distances for Hamilton team Lorraine Goodwin and her son Kyle.

And after the daughter of Fernando Bale and Ruby Keeping quickly took up the running from box three, Stafford struggled to contain his excitement given that Kia Keeping was always going to take running down.

As it turned out, that never happened. The further they went, the further the black bitch extended her lead – eight lengths on the line in a time of 29.53 seconds.

So with the Pick 6 having finally been won again, the jackpot has reverted to $100. To be added to the jackpot will be $10 a week until the pool reaches $500 or is won in the meantime.

Meanwhile, Shade Of Pale, owned and trained at Camperdown by Vito Inguanti, was back at Tara Raceway last Sunday with Shade Of Pale for the Greyhoundtips.com.au Mixed Stake (600 m). Previously he had raced at the local track in an Anniversary Cup heat (512 m) back in July.

A winner back in August over 600 metres at The Meadows, the son of Photo Man and Miss Energiser looked well suited in the Mixed Stake for grades 4, 5 and 6 greyhounds.

Always on the pace from box six, the white and black dog brought up his eighth win from 42 starts after finishing strongly to score by 1¾ lengths over Belair Brindle in 35.24 seconds.

Handling Shade Of Pale last Sunday was Michael Mitchell who regularly makes the trip over to Tara Raceway with Inguanti owned and trained greyhounds.

And Galactic Nemesis, trained at Finniss by Lauren Harris for Mount Gambier owner Robert Chuck, on Monday night won her way through to this Sunday night’s Peter Kittle Toyota Gawler Cup final (531 m).

Leading all the way from box two, the white and brindle daughter of Blue Moon Rising and Galactic Athena defeated Boracay Bella by 2½ lengths in 30.83 seconds. The win took her race record to 25 wins and $70,000 in prize money.

The win was part of a huge night for Harris who also has Lamia Nonna Mim, Victa Graham and Victa Krev through to the $50,000 Group 3 final.

Racing returned to normal last Sunday at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s Tara Raceway meeting on Lake Terrace East.

This followed a week of extensive maintenance which is regularly undertaken on both the racing and slipping tracks. As a result there had been no trials on the Wednesday or a Thursday race meeting.

Tara Raceway track men Tim Manterfield and Mark Hall, together with Pete and Logan of GT Bobcat, had spent the week working on the tracks.

“We kicked off with the slipping track on the Monday,” Manterfield said. “Interestingly, we were the first SA club to introduce on-track training facilities by way of a slipping track back in 2013 for the benefit of local trainers.

“Also on Monday the race track was graded and then harrowed on Tuesday. For the remainder of the week it was then rolled and consolidated.”

Meanwhile, with no racing at Tara Raceway last Thursday, Hamilton-based trainer Kyle Goodwin – who races regularly at the local track – opted for a trip to the Murray Bridge straight track on the Wednesday with Costly Habits.

Goodwin had been chasing his first win at Murray Bridge since December 2024 with Lust To Burn. And Costly Habits finished strongly over the 350 metre journey when defeating odds on favourite Catching by a length in 19.85 seconds.

“I had always wanted to try him at Murray Bridge because I was of the opinion that he would race alright up the straight,” he said. “So with no racing last Thursday this had been the ideal opportunity.”

A give away greyhound after having raced twice at Shepparton and Warrnambool, Costly Habits has now won four races and run 16 minor placings from 39 starts.

“Actually, at one stage we also had been looking to give him away but given there had been no takers we carried on racing him. And he continues to pay his way,” Goodwin said.

By Hooked On Scotch, Costly Habits’ dam is Emerald Hill, who raced on only seven occasions for three wins over the middle-distance at The Meadows and Shepparton.

Emerald Hill is by US sire Superior Panama out of Sweet It is, a daughter of Mogambo and Off Springer and a winner of 23 races for close to a million dollars in prize money.

Meanwhile, at Tara Raceway’s Sunday afternoon meeting, long-time 2026 Mount Gambier Greyhound of the Year (GOTY) front-runner Gus Limes further increased his lead to six points over Kia Keeping.

Owned locally by Kevin Bouchier and trained at Mortlake by Peter Crawley, box one runner Gus Limes chased Huntsman throughout in the Williams Crane Hire Open Stake (305 m).

And on the line Huntsman had 2½ lengths to spare over the second-placed Gus Limes, a son of Aston Rupee and Elle Limes, in a time of 17.46 seconds. But the minor placing added valuable points to his tally and took his total to 88 points.

Not to be undone, though, Kia Keeping, a daughter of Fernando Bale and Ruby Keeping, bounced back with a vengeance later in the day for Kyle Goodwin and his mother Lorraine in the Ontrack Insider Mixed 4/5 Stake (512 m).

Chasing her first win since September 13 when defeating Blue Moon Marie over 732 metres at Tara Raceway, Kia Keeping led all the way last Sunday from box three.

On the line she had eight lengths to spare over Way Cool in 29.53 seconds. The 512 metre win also generated seven points and all of a sudden Kia Keeping found herself leading the Mount Gambier GOTY by one point.

But in race 10, the Collins Court Butcher Stake (305 m), Crawley and Bouchier bounced back with Gus Limes’ litter brother Ollie Limes who went into the race with two wins from 47 starts.

Always on the pace from box eight, the fawn dog found the front turning for home before running out a 1¼ length winner over Mocambora Jack in 17.93 seconds.

Training honours on the 11-race program last Sunday went the way of local trainers Kevin Patzel, Elysia Bartholomew and Tracie Price who each landed a double.

Patzel was successful with He’s A Tycoon and Slippery Gypsy while Bartholomew led in a litter double with Trackman Tim and Divine Poppy.

And Tracie Price took his number of winners this year at Tara Raceway to 171 after Huntsman and Rock It Roger impressed over 305 metres and 400 metres respectively.

On the back of three luckless recent second placings over 305 metres at Tara Raceway, Sweet Edna finally broke through for her first win at her fourth start at last Sunday’s Mount Gambier meeting.

Away well from box eight in the Outback Insider Maiden Stake (305 m), she was always travelling like a winner, leading all the way for a 3½ length win over Miss Outback in 17.53 seconds.

Raced by Peter Byrne of Koroit, Sweet Edna was trained at her first start by Trevor Steel of Nullawarre North prior to being transferred locally to Dean Fennell of Glencoe.

And there was no one happier with the win than the trainer’s wife who just happens to also be named Edna and rarely misses a Tara Raceway meeting.

“She had enjoyed no luck whatsoever at her first three race starts and it was really pleasing to see things go her way last Sunday when opening her winning account in a personal best time,” Edna said.

For Dean Fennell, sitting in second spot behind Tracie Price on the Mount Gambier leading trainers’ list, the win was his 38th for 2026.

Bred by Byrne, the January 2025 whelped Sweet Edna is by Plaintiff out of Mepunga Stellar, the dam of 19 winners this year at Tara Raceway.

Back in Mount Gambier last Sunday and chasing his first local winner since April last year with Mr. Beets was Gary Peach of Cape Clear with Laid Back Lass in the Cadillac Racing Stake (305 m).

And the Peach-bred daughter of Aston Dee Bee and Happy Lass quickly found the front from box eight before running out a 2¼ length winner over the Fennell-trained Saint Ella in 17.48 seconds.

Raced by Peach’s nephew Josh, Laid Back Lass was having only her third start back after injuring a back leg muscle at the end of May. Happy Lass lacks nothing when it comes to breeding, being by Collision out of Weeping Lass and a half-sister to Silver Brute.

Owned and trained by Gary Peach, Silver Brute, a son of Aston Dee Bee and Weeping Lass, raced on 100 occasions for 63 wins, nine seconds and 10 thirds and accumulated prize money of close to $300,000.

Others in the litter included Action Girl (50 wins and $236,375 in prize money, Mobile Legend (20, $190,685), Struck Gold (19, $63,685) and Slick Lass (11, $33,973).

Involved in greyhound racing for more than 50 years, Peach currently has 23 dogs on the property with 17 in work.

And while his long-time involvement has seen him race on plenty of tracks, Peach still maintains that it’s always a good day at Tara Raceway.

Local trainer Elysia Bartholomew’s Divine Poppy, a daughter of Tommy Shelby and Galactic Destiny, broke through for her first win at start number nine in the Greyhoundtips.com.au Maiden Stake (305 m).

Leading all the way from box one, Divine Poppy defeated Compton Malt by 1¾ lengths in 17.41 seconds – a quick time for maiden greyhounds.

And Bartholomew landed a litter double after Trackman Tim quickly found the front from box eight in the Trackside Pet Meats Pick 6 Stake (400 m) before running out a 7¾ length winner over Come On Luba in 23.00 seconds.

The win was his fourth from five starts since taking up residence in Mount Gambier for Elysia and Steve Bartholomew and Gerald Lanigan.

The Paddy Pretlove-managed syndicate who races the Bill Hartigan-trained Tabasco Fiasco missed out a couple of weeks ago when the white and fawn bitch won her maiden at Tara Raceway.

But with their greyhound fronting up again last week there was no way they were going to miss out a second time. And Paddy and his team were certainly out in force at Tara Raceway.

By Fernando Bale out of Yarramundi Bee, and bred at Lewiston by Vadim Roz, Tabasco Fiasco is one of a litter of 11 – a couple having already won half a dozen races each.

And Tabasco Fiasco looked impressive in the Pindari at Stud Stake (305 m) when jumping from box eight. Quickly away, she soon took up the running and went to the line strongly for a 2¾ length win in 17.43 seconds.

Paddy and the boys and girls certainly didn’t hold back. The celebrations were long and loud.