Rawlings' Red Hot Form Continues At Murray Bridge

PREMIER South Australian trainer Ben Rawlings bounced back from the canine virus impact upon his kennels with four winners at Murray Bridge on Sunday.

“Since our kennel started racing again last week, we have had 16 starters for seven wins, seven seconds a third and one unplaced,” said Ben.

“The four winners at Murray Bridge was great.”

They were headed by veteran galloper Two Times Twice (Fernando Bale-Chica Destacada) who notched up win number 37 with victory in a 455m 5th grade.

“He's an amazing dog,” said Ben.

“He's rising four and you would think he was two the way he carries on at the racetrack.”

Rawlings said the grand campaigner races with his wrists strapped and on-going care of the wrists was part of his training program.

“They require constant work and it was something he had before he came to us,” said Ben.

“But it is something we can keep on top of and you only have to see how he is racing as a four-year-old to understand he loves what he does.”

Rawlings' other winners were Born Lovely (Worm Burner-Psychotic Gold) and littermate See You Smile, along with the home-bred Naja Naja (Snakebite Bale-Glady's Corner).

The Rawlings kennel, with 30 in training, was one of the first to be shut down when the virus hit South Australian racing.

“I'm told there are 16 other kennels affected now,” he said.

“They shut us down for a month which I felt was going over the top. We waited until every dog on the property had got the virus, then started them back into training. They seem to get over it after a week. We are lucky we have our own straight track and got some work back into them.

“They only needed one trial to bring them back to race fitness.”

Seven wins and eight placings in the first 16 starters since resuming proves that.