Supermaxi's Spirited Return One To Savour

IT is said, behind every good man is an even better woman.

That seems to be the case with John and Jane Carruthers and the proof is on the racetrack.

At Wentworth Park on Thursday night, Supermaxi (Barcia Bale-Angel Glow) won again, this time in a 520m 5^th grade in 30.19 following a similar win at headquarters last week but in a scorching 29.58.

John is the first to admit he had just about given up on getting Supermaxi back to the track, let alone to his full potential.

But Jane would not hear of it and insisted they keep going with the dog which had suffered a litany of injury problems that had kept him on and off the track, off mostly.

A member of their home bred litter that also included G2 Richmond Derby finalists Not Without and Mr Peregrine, the latter a scorching winner of the Robert Smith Memorial Maiden, Supermaxi has raced just 11 times for eight wins and two seconds.

He won four of his first five, but then had six months off the scene.

He came back to win again at Richmond, but needed another three months on the sidelines, winning on his return to the track, but from March he needed another three months off.

"It's been a series of injuries, mostly shin soreness, but one thing after another," John Carruthers said.

"When he first started racing, he could not get around two turns, so we kept him to short distances at Richmond and Bulli."

At his return to racing during this campaign, Supermaxi was stepped up to 520m.

"We put him around at Richmond in a post to post and he scorched," John added.

"He was in at Wenty and the early price was $10 so we were ready for an old fashioned plonk.

"But, Jane suffered a turn and I had to call the ambulance for her. We scratched the dog from Wenty that night without penalty.

"We had him in the next week and the meeting was washed out, so I had to trial him and he flew. That's why he was $1.70 when he won two weeks ago."

Supermaxi is pulling up fine these days and will keep racing at Wentworth Park while he stands up to that.

"He's over three already and has had just 11 starts," said John.

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NSW racing legend She's A Pearl made a start to her breeding career only Andy and Jodie Lord could dream of when her first two starters were winners on Thursday night.

Black Axe Bandit (Fernando Bale-She's A Pearl) flew the lids and scored by five lengths in a 520m Maiden at Wentworth Park in 29.88.

Moments later, his litter sister, She's Fearless did the same at Dapto winning in 29.83 by six and a half lengths.

Both started raging hot favourites.

Mark Duclos owns Black Axe Bandit and said he had been amazed at the planning that had gone into the first starts of both dogs from the Lord kennel.

"Andy has been so, so patient with them and wanted to have them 100 percent before he put them in," Duclos said.