Bruce Wallbank has been on a wonderful ride since returning to the training ranks last term, with his only horse Midnight Edition rising through the ranks to become one of the favourites in Sunday’s Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1400m).
The 79-year-old bred the son of Wrote and after having success previously as a trainer, breeder and owner, he decided to prepare the gelding himself out of Pukekohe Park.
Always rating him as a serious talent, Midnight Edition proved that on the big stage at Ellerslie on Boxing Day last year, dead-heating the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) before losing the win in the inquiry room.
He continued to rise through the grades into his four-year-old term, dominating open-class opposition first-up at Te Rapa before returning to the course a fortnight later to go down by a narrow margin to Whiskey ‘N Roses.
Wallbank is rapt with how his gelding has returned as an older horse and believes he can make his presence felt in a big way at Arawa Park on Sunday.
“He’s a very good horse, I think he can win a couple of good races this year,” he said.
“He ran a good race (second-up), he blew quite a bit and possibly needed another gallop, so that was a grey-haired trainer’s fault I suppose. Masa (Hashizume, jockey) said he didn’t see the other horse coming either, so it was probably a combination of those, but he’s going very well and we think he can go very well in the Sweynesse.
“He can run on a hard track, a wet track, it doesn’t worry him, and we’ll have Matt Cameron on.”
Wallbank has heeded plenty of advice from trainers with Midnight Edition and had considered handing over the reins this spring to one of those in Nigel Tiley, but he is pleased to have continued on while he can.
“I’m getting close to 80 years of age now and things do get a little bit harder, but I’ve only got the one horse and Nigel is away overseas for four months through the winter so it’s not convenient at this stage,” he said.
“But he (Midnight Edition) has probably got three or four years ahead of him, so I’ll enjoy doing it while I can.
“He’s one of those horses you look for in a lifetime, he’s a hell of a nice horse and very easy to handle.”
Midnight Edition will remain the sole horse in his stable, but Wallbank is already looking forward to seeing his half-sister (by Proisir) hit the track at some stage this term for Katrina and Simon Alexander.
“We’ve got half-shares in a Proisir filly with Mark Chitty, she’s a beautiful two-year-old filly and has had two preparations,” he said. “I think she’s off to Katrina Alexanders in the next couple of weeks, she’ll come up as a late two-year-old.
“Midnight Gossip (dam of Midnight Edition) is a very good mare, she’s had three horses to the races and three black-type horses.
“She’s just foaled a magnificent Ace High filly, so we’ll give her a year off now.”