With the highlights of 2025 left to be remembered, Trainers at Murray Bridge raced into the New Year strong with determination to prove 2026 is the year of those on the Country Road.
Garret Lynch Wins Two at Port Lincoln
With three horses runnning on the last day of 2025, Garret Lynch found a great way to end the year with The Gov winning Race Four with Sairyn Fawke taking the horse to a 1.27 length win. In the second last race, with the final horse from Murray Bridge running, Connor Murtagh took Garret Lynch’s Vintage Kod to a 1.1 length win to round out the year.
New Year’s at Murray Bridge
The New Year come faster than expected, with two of the nine races handed to the local trainers at the Murray Bridge track. With Jason Holder unavailable for the day, Kayla Crowther took to Stylish Flipper and ran an impressive 1.31 length victory on Paul Carey’s first run of the year.
Following a win in a Club Jump Out just a week earlier, She’s Ternacious was raring to go, with Sarah Rutten training the winner for Connor Murtagh to push it across the post for a 1.08 length win for the local horse.
Two Gawler Greats
With many placing across the day, the Gawler races were rounded out with two wins for Murray Bridge Trainers. In Race Six, Heather Lehmann’s gelding Conni Island took out a 1.25 length win with Alysha Warren donning the black and yellow diamonds.
In the second to last race of the day, Magnetic Edge, trained by John Hickmott and Carrina Riggs, had Dylan Caboche run a 1.37 length win over Roslyn Day’s Kirkliston Blue, only another length in front of the third placing Alainge by Garret Lynch, rounding out the first Murray Bridge Trainer trifecta of the year.
Strathalbyn Sunday:
The Family Fun at Strathalbyn seemed to be just as fun for the Murray Bridge Trainers, with two races holding trifectas for Murray Bridge Horses, the first of which being a one-two finish for Matthew Seyers in Race Three. Splash Of White, with Jason Holder riding the winner, had it’s stablemate Pretty Morsel follow a close 0.65 lengths behind, with Kayla Crowther passing Ben Price, riding Michael Hicmott’s third placing You’resogolden by another 0.3 lengths.
In the sixth race, Ron Daniel and Trish Stanbury trained Tofino for a second place trial at Murray Bridge to a first place race with Maggie Collett pushing a 0.09 length win over Garret Lynch’s Didwewin, with Stuart Padman’s Joviale following closely behind.
With an amazing start to the year, Murray Bridge Trainer’s have two home races to work towards this month, as well as a weather delayed Oakbank race day and a Port Lincoln race day on Sunday to round out the second week of January.