Fernando Blaster Smashes Casino Record

FERNANDO Blaster was at his sensational best on Friday afternoon smashing the track record when winning his heat of the Group 3 Casino Cup (484m).

The quality of his performance was in the fact he smashed track specialist Cosmic Bonus beating that grand galloper by seven and a quarter lengths running 27.08.

The son of Fernando Bale-Amy Lyndan took his record to 39 starts for 17 wins and $114,000 in stakes.

Other heats of the Cup went to Short Pork in 27.55 and Cairnlea Blue in 27.85.

For Sydney-based owner Merv Papworth, Fernando Blaster's record breaking run was yet another part of an “unbelievable” ride with the dog.

Only two runs back, Fernando Blaster had equalled Champagne Sally's Ipswich 520m track record in a heat of the Cup. And at his previous start he had won the Group 2 Lismore Gold Cup final.

“To think I rang up even before the litter was born to order a pup,” said Merv. “Terry Jordan rang me back a week after they were whelped to let me know of the 11 pups in the litter.

“I asked if I could buy the dark brindle dog pup and I remember it like it was yesterday, Terry said ‘I'll put a stamp on his head for you right now'.”

Jordan and his wife Lyn bred the litter and Terry continues to train the dog.

“I have only seen him race a couple of times, at Wentworth Park in the Derby final and in the Maitland Cup final and he was lucky not to win the Derby and was beaten narrowly at Maitland,” said Merv.

The Jordans tried to coax Merv to Ipswich for that Cup final and have already asked him about being at Casino next week.

“I think I might be a jinx so it's a bit unlikely that I'll go up to Casino,” he said.

“I'm 76 years old and travelling around like that is not ideal.”

Merv is happy to let Fernando Blaster do all the travelling around … as quick as he likes.