IT HAS been a long road to victory for long-time trainer Mark Boyle and Flushed, but the moment the Charlton trainer had hoped for arrived last Thursday.
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Having her 20th start, the five-year-old mare broke through for her maiden win at Lord's Raceway
Naturally, Boyle doesn't expect another 20 starts to tick by before he is again celebrating a victory with the daughter of Roll With Joe and Wenyahotyahot, who started her career as a two-year-old in mid-2017.
Flushed had gradually been working towards a win, with two of her five previous placings coming in her past four starts.
"She should win another couple (of races) easy enough and then she might struggle for a bit going up in grade," Boyle said
The win was only the trainer's second this racing season with his small team of four horses.
His first winner came courtesy of the four-year-old gelding Jittabug at Maryborough last September.
The Charlton trainer has enjoyed plenty of success in the past, most notably with Fourjay, a finalist in the 1985 Inter Dominion Trotting Championship won by Scoth Notch.
"He won the Victorian Derby and the South Australian Derby (in 1982)," Boyle said.
"Lee Vegas won the New South Wales Oaks and the South Australian Oaks and ran second in the final in Victoria at Moonee Valley
"I think (the stable) has had six Group 1 wins all up, which is pretty good.
"I haven't had much good for a while, I've sold a few .... it's a bit of luck. You have to find the right horse."
While the move to region-based racing has safeguarded the sport during the coronavirus pandemic, Boyle believed things would be better when they returned to normal.
"Don't get me wrong as I appreciate it (being able to race), but you are seeing the same horses, you don't have to guess who's coming (to the track)," he said.
"But we've been pretty lucky in Victoria with the virus, imagine being stuck in England or America.
"There's been none in our shire (Buloke), which we can be thankful."
As racing continues, Boyle hoped to see more Charlton-trained winners emerge.
Meanwhile, a win on Flushed gave Ellen Tormey her 11th win in 10 meetings since the move to the temporary racing model, three in arrears of the Central Victorian region's leading driver Alex Ashwood on 14.
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