Cult hero posts 35th Mildura win

Regional Victoria pacing cult figure Bernie Winkle etched his name into the record books in yet another heart-stopping victory at Mildura on Friday.

It’s the 35th occasion the Bendigo-based pacer has been successful at the far north west Victorian track – equalling a long-standing Victorian record for races won at a single track.

Freakish trotter True Roman, trained by Graeme Johannesen at Sebastian, near Bendigo, has held the record for most wins at one track since 1992. In an illustrious career, the champion won 71 races from 131 starts – 35 of them at the Melbourne headquarters Moonee Valley.

Eight-year-old Bernie Winkle earned a cult following last year when owners Eric and Heather Anderson, who paid $30,000 for the former Kiwi pacer, sent him to be based at Mildura with Geoff Lucas during the regional racing lockdown.

“Bernie” proceeded to notch up 10 straight victories for drivers Shane Smith (nine wins) and Andrew Stenhouse (1 win), more often than not in electrifying last-to-first fashion over the final 600 metres.

He added another win and two runner-up performances before the regional racing model ended, and the pacer was returned home to trainer Julie Douglas. Since then, the Douglas team has beaten a path from Strathfieldsaye to Mildura – with a further 19 victories the result, all for talented central Victorian reinswoman Ellen Tormey.

Friday’s victory was vintage “Bernie and Ellen”, the pair sitting patiently second last until the 700-metre mark, then storming home to a narrow victory over Maratei (Monique Burnett) and another Douglas stablemate, Duke of Dundee (Abbey Sanderson).

“He’s a great little horse to drive, but he doesn’t like to win by far.he gets me nervous sometimes as well!” Tormey said.

“He just gets the job done – I’ve driven horses that probably have more ability, but I would have to say that Bernie’s the most enjoyable horse I’ve driven,” she said.

“He is just an absolute pleasure and pretty much does it himself under his own steam.”

The win on Bernie Winkle was among five for Tormey on Friday at Mildura. She was also successful on Abstract Hanover (for trainer Kylie Bevington); Marsden Heights (Julie Douglas); Captain Confetti (Julie Douglas); and Redbank Rockabear (Frank Merceica).

It was the second occasion in her career that Tormey has bagged five winners at a meeting – the previous time, also at Mildura, was nearly 12 months earlier in December 2020.

The Friday blitz was part of an unforgettable week for Tormey, who the previous night at Echuca iced 100 victories in a season for the first time. Two-year-old Missed the Truth, trained by Mark Thompson, brought up the milestone win.

Tormey kicked-off her career in the sulky as a 16-year-old back in the 2006-07 season, representing Victoria in the Australasian Young Drivers Championship in Perth in 2011 and 2012, and winning the series at her second attempt.

Tormey has achieved the 50-win benchmark several times in her career, but reaching the century for the first time is something she’s worked hard for.

“I’m having a good run and I’m having some luck, but it’s nice to get there. I obviously couldn’t do it without a lot of support and driving nice horses certainly helps,” she said.

“Last season I got close. It was a pretty good year for me and in the regional racing model I drove for a few different people and I got to keep some of those drives, which has been great.”

Bernie Winkle is a likely contender in this weekend’s “Claiming Masters” at Melton, before heading to Mildura to try to secure the record 36th win.

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink