Tony Brennan, a disability support worker, landed his first winner as an owner and trainer when Kyle Harper drove The Dark Night to a thrilling final-stride victory in the 2130m Retravision.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Wednesday night.
The Dark Night, an $11.20 chance, raced three back on the pegs and was hopelessly hemmed in approaching the home turn before Harper got the gelding off the pegs. The Dark Night was still badly hampered for room, but Harper was able to switch him four wide on the corner when he was still in sixth position before he flew home to get up and win by a half-head from the $3.20 second fancy The Righteous, who had taken the lead 40m from the post after working in the breeze outside the $2.60 favourite Mista Editorial.
The 63-year-old Brennan has always had an interest in harness racing, and in the 1990s he joined the reinsmen’s school and drove in trials before he left Northam to work in Perth in senior management in the health industry.
After taking a redundancy Brennan enjoyed his time helping out York trainer-reinsman Robin Bell at his stables. “I used to drive against Robin at trials, and recently we leased The Dark Night,” said Brennan. “I got a licence to train, and The Dark Night is the first horse I have trained. And I couldn’t be any happier than I am now after he won tonight.”
Bell said that The Dark Night had run fourths at Kellerberrin and Northam and that his work on the track against Ciao Babe, a Sweet Lou mare trained by Bell, suggested that he would be prominent in Wednesday night’s race.
Brennan, a half-brother to former Claremont and Carlton champion footballer Ken Hunter, said: “We thought he was going to run a race tonight. We are still learning about him and have made a few changes which have helped him.”
The Dark Night is by American sire A Rocknroll Dance and is the third foal out of Rebecca Amy, who earned $97,465 from 13 wins and nine placings from 46 starts. Brennan has prepared The Dark Night for his past ten starts for his solitary win. But the way he sprinted home on Wednesday night suggests that further successes are in store.
