How Romyn Has Made Murray Bridge Her Own

FORMER Victorian trainer Bec Romyn, now firmly based at Two Wells in South Australia, will go into Wednesday's Murray Bridge Straight Track Championship (350m) with a three-pronged attack including a last start track record breaker.

Bec's finalists are Shavano, Ransom's Pride and Meet Joe Black.

Shavano broke the Murray Bridge track record when he posted 18.51 in his heat win but Bec was already resigned to it being broken.

“I just knew the way he was feeling and with a strong breeze behind the field that he could break the record,” Beck said.

 

“I got the photo after the race and told the photographer I would have to enjoy the moment while I could because I just knew it would be broken later in the day.”

Bec, was right.

Two races later, the Ray Fewings-trained Craggy Island won his heat in a record 18.49, adding to his 21.76 Murray Bridge record on the circle track over 395 metres.

Bec says the box draw will hugely influence the result of the final. The draw will be held on Friday.

“Shavano is the best of my three and I hope he can draw an inside box because he will go straight,” Bec said.

“Ransom's Pride would be best out of a wide draw. He's not as quick as Shavano but he tries his heart out and he was boxed well in his heat.

“I just hope all my three go straight in the final.”

 

She is high in praise of the Ricky Umbrasas-owned Shavano.

“He just loves racing and is such a well behaved dog around the kennels,” she said. “Ricky sent over five of the litter for us to train and they are all the same temperament.”

Bec worked for seven years with the Peter Giles kennel in Victoria and then went out on her own with a small kennel in the Gippsland region.

She and partner Braden and children Ashlee, 20, and Jake, 9, headed to South Australia on July 1 last year.

In 2021, Bec has had 119 starters up the Murray Bridge straight for a remarkable 50 winners and 36 placings.

“We've now got 30 in training and the entire family helps out around the kennels,” she said.

Shavano has started 13 times for seven wins and five placings and he is a Murray Bridge specialist all his wins coming at the track.

She says Craggy Island, winner of 20 of his 31 starts for Ray Fewings, is the one to beat. A son of Aston Dee Bee, he is a brilliant early pace dog.

Meet Joe Black chased home Greg Board's smart Spring Vinnie in the other heat, beaten a neck, in 18.79.