AFTER a prolific career that encompassed 65 wins and 83 placings, time has been called on the career of evergreen Strathfieldsaye-trained pacer Bernie Winkle.
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The 10-year-old marvel took his owners Eric and Heather Anderson and trainers Julie and Glenn Douglas on a ride of a lifetime during a well-publicised career, highlighted by a record for the most number of wins at a single Victorian track.
Fittingly, Bernie Winkle bowed out as a winner, saluting at Mildura on November 23.
It was his 42nd victory at the City Oval Paceway.
In June 2021, he surpassed Murranji Track for the most number of wins at the Sunraysia circuit, while his 36th Mildura victory on May 6 last year gave him the record for the most victories at one track, eclipsing the mark previously held by champion square gaiter True Roman, who won 35 times at Moonee Valley.
Bernie Winkle, who had 10 New Zealand starts before arriving at Strathfieldsaye in early 2016, leaves racing with an amazing win-place strike rate for stake earnings of almost $678,292.
Owner Eric Anderson said he was glad to see the 10-year-old bow out as a winner.
"It (retirement) has been coming, but it's been a real joy," he said.
"I guess, when you have a lot of horses, it can be a bit hard to have something that stands out, but I enjoyed every bit of the ride, as I do with all of them.
"I'm proud of his (overall) record, with the 10 in a row at Mildura the high point."
Sent north during COVID early in 2020, Bernie Winkle rattled off 10 straight wins under the training of Geoff Lucas from April through to September.
It was during this period that Bernie developed a cult following among avid and even casual harness racing followers.
Following a pair of seconds, he notched up one further win under Lucas before returning home to be trained by Julie Douglas.
He continued to enhance his record with 16 wins and seven placings from 27 starts at Mildura in 2021.
Anderson was pleased to declare Bernie Winkle 'healthy and sound' as he headed into retirement.
"His legs were getting a bit slow, a bit like mine," he laughed.
"But to look at him, there's absolutely nothing wrong. He's perfect.
"He's like that because of his racing pattern. He wasn't a tough horse, so you couldn't go around and sit in the death and bore it up.
"He had to be an opportunist, which he did well.
"When he won the 10 in a row during COVID, the fields weren't very big, but it was just tailor-made for him.
"Ozzie Battler and him were a good team up there."
Eight different drivers recorded wins on Bernie Winkle throughout his Australian career, with Junortoun-based Ellen Tormey easily the most successful with 28.
Others to have steered him to a victory were Glenn Douglas (13), Shane Smith (9), Monique Burnett (5), Daryl Douglas (3), Jack Laugher (2), Andrew Stenhouse (1) and Josh Duggan (1).
Bernie was no champion but to us he's been a champion horse
- Glenn Douglas
Reflecting on Bernie Winkle's career, Glenn Douglas told Harnesslink that a change in race programming had made the son of Rock N Roll Heaven's task more difficult in recent times.
"He's not good enough to win at Melton these days and whereby there was a race once a week for him at Mildura now it's about once every three weeks," he said.
"Look, he was a horse who absolutely enjoyed racing and always stuck his head out at the end of his races and his times were consistent, so he really never ran a bad race.
"Bernie was no champion but to us he's been a champion horse."
