Passionate Melbourne trainer Paul Buhagiar admits that getting a winner with his very first horse on debut nearly 40 years ago was always going to ensure he had the bug for harness racing.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I only do it as a hobby, but it’s unreal — because when it gets into your blood, it’s there forever,” said Buhagiar, of Roxburgh Park, an outer suburb of the Victorian capital.

“When I haven’t got a horse in work, I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m lost,” he laughed.

Buhagiar has had some handy horses over the years, and now he’s enjoying success with the beautifully bred six-year-old mare Dancingonstarlight, a winner at her last two outings at Cranbourne and Melton.

“She takes a lot of work and seems to be enjoying the bit of heat work I do with her. I race her with my wife Julie and our good friend Geoff [Dodd], and we’re having a lot of fun,” he said.

“There was never any doubt she had the ability — it was just that we had some issues. But we’re on top of those at the moment, and she’s happy and sound. While she might lack a high top speed, she is so strong and powerful.

“She really hit the line in winning at Melton (April 25) at her last start, and I think her mile rate was 1:55.9. I gave her a week off after that. This season, she’s done well with three wins and four placings from 11 starts.”

Dancingonstarlight is out of the former outstanding racemare Twinkletoes, who had 16 wins and 15 placings from 48 starts for earnings of over $150,000.

Dodd won seven races with Twinkletoes, before offering her to Buhagiar to train in the early 2000s.  He went on to win a further nine with the mare, including the $100,000 Gr 1 Queen of the Pacific, driven by John Caldow, in May 2001.

“She was an amazing horse who had so much gate speed. When I had her, it was the best fun we’ve ever had in harness racing. I still remember her win in the Queen of the Pacific,” Buhagiar said.

“When I was growing up, my dad Sam loved the trots, and I vaguely remember the meetings at the Showgrounds. It was like a family outing, and we’d meet up with other relatives. One of my cousins, Frank, trained horses — firstly at Diamond Creek and then later at Arthur’s Creek — and he did quite well.

“My first horse was named Rain Command, and I leased it off Kevin Hill. It won at its first start and ended up winning seven races, including one at Moonee Valley. I trained at Dad’s property at Bulla, where I had a very small track.

“After getting to know Geoff, he offered me Twinkletoes. I had her for eight or nine weeks and soon realised she was a nice horse.

“Geoff didn’t interfere, but when our neighbour Geoff Proposch put in an 850m track and invited me to fast work with him, Twinkletoes really improved. I had her out in a paddock most of the time, which I think was important.

“Most of my winners in the last 40 or 50 starters that I’ve had have come since getting to know Geoff.”

Twinkletoes excelled in the breeding barn, with 10 winners from her 11 foals to race, the best being Leda McNally (24 wins, $422,000 in stakes) and Dance For Glory (32 wins, $317,000)

Buhagiar works afternoon shifts at major logistics company Toll — a job he’s held for the past 36 years.

“I can do the horses in the morning. I only have two in work, with the other being a Rock N Roll Heaven two-year-old filly, who should make it to the races later this year.”

 

Photo: Sophie Jefferies (Cranbourne HRC)