Finally a happy homecoming for Dwyer

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Shaun Dwyer celebrated his first win since returning to Queensland following a 13-year stint in Victoria when Last Chance was successful in the Open Handicap at Doomben on Saturday.

Ridden by Mark Du Plessis, Last Chance powered home to edge out the Gillian Heinrich-trained Hilo.

Dwyer is best known to Queenslanders as the trainer of former star sprinter Regimental Gal, who won the 2003 Magic Millions Classic, before going on to win twice at the highest level in the Group 1 Lightning Handicap and Australian Stakes in Melbourne in 2004.

“I brought seven horses with me and I thought a couple might measure up to the mid-weeks when I came back in July last year,” Dwyer said.

“I was never going to stay in Victoria for more than 10 year's but along came Miss Leonidas, who won the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint and was beaten a head twice, in the Group 1 Moir Stakes and The Galaxy.

“I ended up staying 12 and a half year's but I hated the cold so I left to be closer to my family up here.

“It was a terrific win from Last Chance and I think there’s a couple more wins in him.

“He’s owned by Paul Vella, who is in 90’s, and Peter Newport, and I’ve trained for them for a long time.”

Meanwhile, talented filly Teranga showed she has inherited some of the stamina of her Queensland Oaks winning mother Tinto following her gutsy win in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1615 metres.

Ridden by stable apprentice Jaden Lloyd, Tinto snuck up along the fence to down the Rob Heathcote-trained Crymenotears.

Tinto was one of the state’s best three-year-old's of her era when she gave trainer Rex Lipp his second Group win of his long career in the Queensland Oaks in 2014.

As well as her Queensland Oaks victory, Tinto also won the Magic Millions Stayers Cup in 2015 and Magic Millions Trophy in 2016.

Teranga is a daughter of Sebring and is raced in a big syndicate which includes Proven Thoroughbreds, who have been long-time clients of co-trainers Steve O’Dea and Matt Hoysted.

At the end of her career Tinto won seven times in 26 starts and earned almost $1.5 million in prize money.

She was part-owned by Grania McAlpine, wife of Eureka Stud boss Scott McAlpine and Annabelle Raff who also share in Teranga’s ownership.

Hoysted has always had a good opinion of Teranga, who was sold for $160,000 at the Magic Millions sales at the Gold Coast in 2020.