The story of the Red Carpet Two Year Old Handicap at Mackay on January 15 this year has gone right around the world.

It is unusual to see the mainstream media cover racing outside of carnival time, but it was an unusual race! As many would now know, seven of the eight starters were raced by Stan and Marilyn Johnston of Craiglea Stud, and racecaller Tony McMahon was faced with a sea of blue and white silks when Craiglea Rawie, Craiglea Royale, Craiglea Smokie, Craiglea Edge, Craiglea Gal, Craiglea Matilda and Craiglea Tina lined up at the starting gates.

At least Stan and Marilyn were kind enough to give Tony plenty of advance notice on the cap colour allocations! Not only did the race feature on ABC news that night, but plenty of other media outlets covered the event, and the racecall has even gone global on the internet (here’s the link if you didn’t catch it… www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzZ5rJ0Cj8I

While it may not be a first for one set of owners to have so many in the one field, surely it must be history-making with the seven all prefixed with the same name. For the record, the order home was Craiglea Royale, Craiglea Matilda, Craiglea Gal, Craiglea Edge, Craiglea Tina, Craiglea Smokie, and Craiglea Rawie, with the only non-Craiglea horse Willy Nic running last.

For their collective efforts, the Craiglea seven won $26,000 prizemoney for the race. Tony was even cheeky enough to dare Stan and Marilyn to run eight or nine in the one race next time – be careful what you wish for Tony!

While some may lament the lack of opposition for the Johnston’s team at Mackay, I for one would like to congratulate Stan and Marilyn for their continued support of country racing in Queensland. Agistment and breeding may be the core business at Craiglea Stud, but the racing stable of about forty-odd (all with the moniker Craiglea!) have boosted many a country race meeting. The Johnston’s aim for the racing team is to meet a break even target, or even surpass it.

In the 2008/09 racing year, the target was $300,000, and the stable’s 46 wins netted $622,315. Season 2009/2010 looks like it willbe just as profitable.

Last issue of the Oracle, I shared with you the story of New Stories, raced by the Twin Hills Good Sorts Syndicate. Here’s a form update…two more wins at Clermont and Mackay last November and December has seen the Show A Heart mare take her record to three wins and two placings from nine starts since Jasmine and the Good Sorts placed her with John Manzelmann last year. We continue to wish you every success with New Stories ladies, and I’m sure you’re having an absolute ball racing her.

And as always, here’s the plug for the show…tune into Radio TAB at 1030am Tuesdays for “Bush Beat” for all the country news and results. Feel free to drop me a line with any news – my email address is tony.clements@radiotab.com.au

Till the next Owners’ Oracle, may you enjoy the sweet taste of success that only an owner can know.