Lachlan Mill’s Uprise running home to claim Mill’s first win at the Gawler track. PHOTO: Kurt Donsberg Photography
Bob May
GREYHOUND racing made a welcome return to the night time slot for one week only at Gawler on Friday night, with a young trainer claiming his first win at the track.
Despite being a very wet and windy night, the meeting was welcomed by a large and enthusiastic crowd while operating under COVID-19 restrictions.
The meeting resulted from a one-off opportunity to switch the normal Gawler afternoon meeting with Victoria, where city races cannot now be run at night due to their own restrictions.
Lachlan Mill, a new trainer to the ranks of racing, achieved an early success on the program when his greyhound, Uprise, bounced out well from box five to lead all the way, with a winning margin of a length in 22.99 seconds.
The win was Mill’s first ever at Gawler and took his record to two career training wins, with the other coming with Uprise at his previous Murray Bridge start.
The only trainer to score a multiple on the night was Troy Murray, who landed a double from his all-the-way winners Super Blu in the 400m event, and Major Major in the 531m race.
Super Blu ran the second best time of the night of 22.67 secs, winning impressively by over eight lengths.
Major Major also won well, with a margin of five-and-a-half lengths, which took his career tally to a very respectable 14 wins and eight placings from just 28 starts.
Troy’s father, Ray Murray, also saluted with a winner, when extremely consistent performer Air Marshall won by eight-and-a-half lengths to run the best time of the night of 22.63 secs, taking his tally to 16 wins and eight placings from 29 career starts.
Promising young greyhound Fly For Trix made it five wins in a row after showing his rivals a clean pair of heels to win by nearly six lengths in the other 531m race of the night.
Owned and trained by Jane McNicholl at Williamstown, the white and fawn dog has now recorded seven wins and two placings from just 14 starts.
Racing at Gawler reverts to its normal Friday and Tuesday afternoon schedule, and another of the popular night meetings will be held on Sunday, September 27.
