Thursday’s time-graded meeting at Tara Raceway started off well for Langhorne Creek trainer Tony Hinrichsen who was successful in the Bartholomew Pick 6 Maiden Stake (400 metres) with Thieving Fury, an easy 7½ lengths winner in 24.09 seconds.
Mind you, with the five-dog field all being trained by Hinrichsen it was a case of him always going to win the race. His only problem was with which one.
Bigger trainers supplying a whole field is occurring a bit lately at tracks around the country. But for all that, the support of SA away trainers such as Hinrichsen at Mount Gambier meetings has been a godsend given the continuing border restrictions.
Later in the day the Hinrichsen trained Filthy Phantom, an August 2016 whelping by Lochinvar Marlow x Ruby Swift, lined up in the Klaassens Contractors Stake (400 m) at what was his 250th start.
As it turned out, Bangor Lizzy relegated the veteran to second place but his run did equal former Victorian chaser Galloping Graham’s Australian record for the most number of race starts.
Galloping Graham, a son of Cry Havoc x Pahurehure Lass, commenced racing at Warragul on September 7, 1999 and was retired at start number 250 on September 6, 2004 at Traralgon.
Filthy Phantom’s racing career started at Strathalbyn on December 22, 2017. From a Mount Gambier perspective, he has raced at Tara Raceway on 31 occasions for five wins. His first win at the track was on May 18, 2018 when he defeated Crikey Creeky.
The race records of Galloping Graham and Filthy Phantom at 250 starts are remarkably similar – the former with 25 wins, 35 seconds and 42 thirds. Filthy Phantom has recorded 25 wins, 39 seconds and 48 thirds.
But it’s unlikely Hinrichsen’s black dog will be sharing the record for too long.
“No, I’m not looking at retiring him any time soon. As he showed today, he’s still racing competitively and just loves being at the track.”