Exciting times ahead for hobby trainer

Victorian horseman Wally Dummett might have stepped away from harness racing training more than a decade ago, but it seems one promising pacer is about to give him plenty to smile about.

Marjendos (Sportswriter), bred by Dummett and raced in partnership with his wife Jen, scored an eye-catching win at just her second career start at Cranbourne on May 11.

Out of Dummett’s former race mare Penny Union (Union Guy), a six-time winner from 38 starts, Marjendos marks a welcome change in fortunes.

“I’ve never raced a lot of horses, and after we lost Penny Union’s first foal to a lightning strike during a huge storm at Lara, I took a step back from training,” Dummett explained.

“I sent the mare to Dad’s (Trevor) and started volunteering at Geelong Harness Racing Club. I drove the mobile barrier, worked as a club steward, helped in the swab box—just wherever they needed a hand. The club needed the support and I let training go for a while.”

But sending Penny Union back to the breeding barn has proven a wise decision, with Marjendos not only displaying a good turn of foot, but carrying a legacy close to the family’s heart.

“She’s named after three special women—my mother-in-law Marlene, who passed away last June, my wife Jen, and daughter Jayde, who’s known as Jaydos to her mates,” Dummett said.

“Marlene was a trainer at Lara and a huge help around the stables—she’d feed up, do all the stable duties. She was awesome.

“We actually race in her colors. We’ve only had a handful of runs—maybe four—but now we’ve cracked a win. Jayde used to help out too, but she’s a bit tied up now with identical twins!”

Dummett, of Armstrong Creek, near the picturesque coastal town of Torquay, is quietly confident of Marjendos’ prospects.

“I really think she will be okay. She’s a nice type and certainly has the right attitude,” he said.

“She drew the pole at her first run and went a bit rough and galloped. Craig (driver Craig Demmler) had a few problems with her shifting about and after contacting the marker pegs was relegated to seventh. She got beaten 3.9m, but they did go 1.56-4,” Dummett said.

Nine days later (May 11), Marjendos travelled across town to compete at Cranbourne and after not putting a foot wrong, landed the money in the $6000 Blue Hills Rise Maiden Pace at 5/1.

Demmler elected to take the position behind leader Iloveacalendergirl (Anthony Butt) while another fancied runner in Miki Sing (Ellen Tormey) was content to race in the death-seat.

Marjendos got up the sprint lane in the run to the finish line to defeat her more fancied rivals in a mile rate of 2.00-3.

The win provided Demmler, the stable foreman at Larajay Farms, with an emotional victory after the sudden death of his boss and good mate Greg Sugars.

“I’d been talking to Greg a fortnight before I first raced Marjendos and told him I reckoned I had a nice one. Greg drove Penny Union quite a few times and won five out of seven at one stage, including four at Melton.

“When it came time to do the nominations this time, Craig was the obvious choice – we’ve been mates for years and he also drove Penny Union as well.”

Dummett followed his dad Trevor into the sport and has now trained eight winners with 17 placings in nine seasons dating back to 2000. He has a small farm at Lara and trains on the Geelong track.

“I’ve had lots of issues with Marjendos relating to tying up. I’ve tried a few things and found that by giving her a swim before any trackwork has helped her greatly. I go to Drysdale, which is close by, and she can have a swim and go on the treadmill,” he said.

“Dad is 85 and he trained a winner at Horsham about three years ago. He’s still hands on and gets up early each morning to feed the paddock horses and any other little jobs.

“We’ve decided to give Marjendos a little break now, but I’m loving being back on the training side of it.  I did miss it when I was doing the club roles, but I couldn’t do both.  I find that being in the sport is the best way I can associate with my mates.”

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink