Ob 25jun14 d2

Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - Page 31

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Cars

Page 32 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Caravans,Camping,Touring

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T U O L L E S R A E Y L A I C N A N I F F MASSIVE END O S D N A S U O H T SAVE

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - Page 33

Caravans,Camping,Touring

Page 34 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Caravans,Camping,Touring

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - Page 35

Victorian Rural News

Page 36 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 25, 2014

MARKETING FEATURE

Victorian Rural News

You can ‘act instantly’ to manage Serrated Tussock ■ Serrated Tussock generally proliferates in steep, hard to acess and challenging areas.

These areas are usually very dificult to manage with traditional hose reel or knapsack sprayers due to the amount of water required to provide adequate coverage.

“A shaker on the bike or in the ute shows farmers to act instantly and control tussock. GP Flupropanate greatest benefit is its convenience,” says Haminsh Munro of Graular Products.

Originally designed for aerial application, GP Flupropanate has a coverage to weight ratio of 5:1 compared to liquids, thus the same wight of liquid chemical would treat onefifth of the same area as the granules.

Therefore, heavy and leaky knapsacks can be replaced with the safer and lighter weight granules, that can be either shaken on or spread with a hand lawn spreader.

A couple of kils will go a longway when applications rates for Serrated Tussock are 1.5g/m2 or approximately a flat teaspoon.

The typical infestation areas are usually vulnerable to overgrazing and very slow to recruit beneficial pasture species, making invasive species like the Serrated Tussock well adapted. The vulnerability of these sites also makes management deci“Killing Serrated Tussock is the sions harder, access, herbicide selec- easy bit, managing the many differtion, pasture composition and graz- ent production tolls for longevity of ing, all can significantly influence control is the hard bit,” says Munro. long-term outcomes.

The choice of herbicide and how

it is used are two key links in the longterm control of Serrated Tussock.

Even with a selected herbicide like the Granular GP Flupropanate, rate and strategy will play a large part in

the ficacy of control. As GP Flupropanate is both selective and provides a 2-3 year residual window, applicators need to consider where the seed bank, as well as the parent

plants. Further information is available from Hamish Munro, Granular Products, phone 0458 687 368.

E-mail: hamish@ granularproducts.com

Black Rose M/S 437 Tallaringa Dr ADARE QLD 4343

www.b-r-c.com.au Email: info@b-r-c.com.au Phone: (07) 5462 4523 Fax: (07) 5462 2993 Australian Agency & Stockists for: “Ideal Equestrian” Harness “Abbey England” for specialist bits “Flock of Germany for driving whips

When only the very best will do, reality is the best quality at a reasonable price, look to Ideal Equestrian products supp;lied by Black Rose Carriages, providers of an extensive range of quality Ideal harness (leather and synthetic) and accessories such as FEI driving cones, gloves, aprons, and bits. Special high quality bits available from Abbey England.

Black Rose Carriages in conjunction with Flock have developed an exceptionally well balanced whip in lengths from 129cm to 220cm.

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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 - Page 37

Victorian Rural News

E-Mail: mmach@activ8.net.au

Page 38 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 Melbourne

Observer

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Sport Extra

Sandown Club is world leader

■ Sandown Greyhound Racing Club continues to develop ideas and strategies which make it one of the leading greyhound racing organisations in the world.

Further stakes increases to major events and continued upgrades to oncourse facilities were announced by the club recently.

The club has increased prizemoney for the Melbourne Cup Final in November to $600,000.

The winner of the event will receive $420,000, with second $120,000 and third $60,000.

In another important move, the club has negotiated with Greyhound Racing Victoria to run the Melbourne Cup Final race meeting on Friday night, November 21.

This move will not only maximise betting turnover on the meeting, but will also allow more people the opportunity of attending the night without having to work the next day.

The race start time will be bought forward 30 minutes to around 9:30pm, again with turnover and customer interest in mind.

The annual Launching Pad race series will be revamped, with interested persons or clubs allowed to buy entry forms to the race series at $2000 each, and then on sell them.

Races will be run at shorter intervals on Thursday nights during winter, a new irrigation system and maintenance plan will be implemented on the track, an escalator will be installed in the grandstand and better traffic flow will be arranged from the Lightwood Rd (Railway Station) entrance.

Additionally, participants will be

Greyhounds

with Kyle Galley offered free coffee and new food offerings at Sunday meetings, and a greyhound shop will operate during race and trials sessions, selling feed and gear and other important products for trainers.

Dream run ■ Greyhound racing participants in Queensland could only dream of having the same amount of prizemoney and quality facilities that are on offer in Victoria.

While $40 million is allocated to prizemoney in Victoria, up in Queensland they are racing for a quarter of that.

The amount of racing tracks in the Sunshine State has drastically reduced in the last 15 years, and the sport in South East Queensland is now confined to the Albion Park circuit in the city and suburban Ipswich.

These venues conduct multiple meetings per week, since the closure of suburban venue Beenleigh, and the acquisition of the Gold Coast venue by the Queensland Government for

a hospital development. After several years of deliberation, finally the Queensland Government has announced plans to build a new $12 million greyhound track, at Logan.

Despite the first sod being turned on the project recently, plans for the site have been hard to come by.

Many in the industry have no idea of the type of track and facilities that will be built, and whether they will be adequate for participants.

The land on which the venue will be built is an old dump site, and according to previous reports was liable to still be emitting methane gases until 2017, well after racing will start.

Logan councillors want the money for the project spent elsewhere in the area, rather than on a facility that encourages gambling in an already cash strapped community.

It has been suggested that 90 per cent of councillors are against the development, while there are 7000 signatures on a petition from angry local residents.

Appeal launch

■ Greyhound Racing Victoria stewards will appeal two sanctions delivered by the independent Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board in the case of disqualified trainer Graeme Bate.

Bate pleaded guilty to five serious offences before the Appeals Board recently, including administering a prohibited substance to a greyhound under his care, procuring tablets for the purpose of administering to greyhounds and making a false and misleading statement.

The Board imposed penalties of 24 months disqualification and a fine of $1000 across the five charges.

Greyhound Racing Victoria stewards have decided to appeal the penalties, saying they are “too lenient.”

This will now send the matter to VCAT. Bate was charged with procuring more than 13,000 Hysone tablets for the purpose of using on greyhounds, while his dog Luxurious failed a prerace swab sample before winning at Sale last August.

He has been charged, fined and suspended for drug related offences over a long period of training, but has still been inducted into the greyhound racing Hall of Fame, and has one of the two greyhound tracks at Geelong named in his honour.

Bendigo Cup ■ Bendigo is conducting a second Bendigo Cup race for 2014, with heats on this Sunday night (June 29 ), and the final on Friday week, July 4.

Connections of the winner will pocket $45,000. There are several other feature events which will be staged to coincide with the Cup event.

Some of Victoria’s best short course dogs will be set for this series, with the Bendigo Cup run over 425 metres.

Flashback ■ Connections of Bolta’s Gift won a Chrysler Valiant station wagon as the prize for being declared Victoria’s Greyhound of the Year in 1976.

Owned by Graham Ingamells and trained by Bill Van Polen, Bolta’s Gift was whelped in September 1973, and earned the title of Australia’s top stayer with her win in the 1976 National Distance Championship at Angle Park in South Australia.

From 30 starts in 1976 Bolta’s Gift won 17 races on seven different tracks, with 10 placings.

Her main victories included the Maidment and McKenna Memorial events and the Harper’s Chow Trophy at Olympic Park.

Bolta’s Gift won the award ahead of nominees New Spirit, Mandarin Girl, Carrington Jade and Leeander Mist, and was the second stayer to win the title since it was first presented in 1973.

Upcoming race meetings ■ Wednesday: Wednesday: The Meadows (Day), Bendigo (Twilight), Cranbourne (Night), Ballarat (N); Thursday: Warragul (D), Shepparton (T), Sandown Park (N), Warrnambool (N); Friday: Bendigo (T), Geelong (N); Saturday: Ballarat (T), The Meadows (N); Sunday: Sandown Park (D), Healesville (D), Bendigo (T), Sale (T); Monday: Ballarat (D), Geelong (T), Shepparton (N); Tuesday: Horsham (T), Warragul (N).

- Kyle Galley