Swain's kennel star out to shine in Winged Runner final

By Pat McLeod

Highly respected greyhound mentor Fred Swain and his potential kennel queen, Black Magic Rose, are facing some key questions.

Hopefully the answers start flowing in the $23,000 Winged Runner Trophy Final (520m) on Thursday night at Albion Park.

Black Magic Rose will come out of Box 2 in the prestigious annual listed race for bitches and one of those questions will be answered well before the finish post.

“She (Black Magic Rose) fell at Albion Park at that first turn (in October last year) and she was in a little bit of a state for a while because of that,” Swain said.

“It is a confidence thing with her. She seems to find trouble at the turn where she fell.”

Swain has always rated the Raw Ability - Fay's Magic chaser – and for good reason.

As a youngster, the now three-year-old placed second in the 2022 Group 3 Brisbane Young Guns behind John Dart’s Gypsy Del and then was third behind Photo Man and Amron Boy in the Group Two Flying Amy. Both those runs were at Albion Park.

Soon after, she was also a finalist in the Group 1 Brisbane Cup, running sixth behind Orchestrate.

“So yes, we have always thought highly of the dog and now she is showing a little bit more,” he said.

“Originally, she had early pace and would go out and lead whereas now she is coming from behind.

“Her main obstacle now is her confidence. We will find out over the next few months in races such as the Winged Runner and hopefully some of the other big races of the Brisbane Winter Carnival how her confidence is.

“As far as the future goes, we won't put too much pressure on her and just take it a day at a time.

"Having said that, her win in the run before last was very good and that's when I thought she was starting to get back to her best.

“On Thursday night in the final she is out of the two box and of course I would rather her coming out of that than out of the eight.

“The two probably suits her because the dog out of the one (Hara’s Pandora) goes quick from the start.

“So hopefully my girl can follow her through and get around that first turn. From there, if she can safely navigate that first turn, then you just hope for the best.

“This is a strong field right across the eight, so I think it will come down to who gets the slice of the luck on the night.

“I give mine a good each-way chance on Thursday night, especially if she gets around that first turn OK. She can run the time ... it is just that first turn.”

Swain, who turns 71 this year, was a long-time part of the greyhound fraternity in Townsville before moving to just south of Casino in northern NSW about 10 years ago.

He is no stranger to success in the Winged Runner. He won it two years ago with his ‘best ever’ dog All Hands Off, who is about to go to the breeding barn with a litter to Fernando Bale on the drawing board.

“Black Magic Rose has the potential to be the best that I have had,” he says.

“She is just three, but we will see how she goes over the next few months. A lot of questions will be answered by then.”

Swain has just two dogs in work at the moment – Black Magic Rose and Run West. The latter will contest a 520m 5^th Grade at ‘The Creek’ on Thursday night.

He also has a 10-month-old Pindari Express litter of pups coming through. They are out of Tribal Magic, a sister of All Hands Off.

“So, I still have a few years to go in this game,” said Swain.