Narrabri Shire-trained greyhounds impress at Gunnedah TAB meeting

Two in-form Narrabri Shire-trained greyhounds raced to victory at a Gunnedah TAB meeting on Thursday and three more secured podium finishes on what was a successful day for four local trainers.

Gwabegar trainer Eric Butler and Bellata trainer Kevin Campbell both oversaw winners in back-to-back races.

In the third race of the day, which was a 431-metre maiden event, the Campbell-trained Lagoon Dark Eyes jumped from box five and charged away to victory in his third start.

After placing second in his previous two maiden races, Lagoon Dark Eyes was never challenged on Thursday.

He finished the race with a new personal best 431-metre time of 24.86, and was the only dog in the race to finish in less than 25 seconds. He ran home almost five lengths ahead of the second-placed runner and a whopping 15 lengths clear of third.

In the fourth race of the day, a 340-metre grade five event, the Butler-trained Sunshine Shadow was also victorious.

The four-year-old jumped from box one and led from start to finish on her way to a comfortable three-and-a-half-length victory.

Her 19.76 time was a new 340-metre personal best, which also saw her finish as the race’s only runner to go past the post in less than 20 seconds.

Sunshine Runner continued her impressive run of form with that win. She has now won four of her past eight starts and in three of those other races she placed second.

Earlier in the day, the Butler-trained Sunshine Ruby placed third in the first race of the meeting. In a 340-metre non-grade event, the four-year-old jumped from box eight and finished 12 lengths behind the William Marmara-trained winner Greek Bombshell (box six).

The seventh race of the day was a 340-metre grade five event, in which the Colin Anderson-trained Fire Fly Angel also placed third. In just her sixth start for the Wee Waa trainer, the two-year-old secured her fourth podium finish when she ran home just one length behind the Kevin Sills-trained winner Davette’s Diva (box eight).

Fellow Wee Waa trainer Timothy Anderson also oversaw one of his greyhounds, Lagoon Lockdown, race to a third-placed finish. That was in race 10, a 431-metre grade four/five race. Lagoon Lockdown jumped from box eight and finished two lengths back from the Graham Pickering-trained Swift Kevin (box three).