Another win a Bonus for Evelyn's Cosmic

Cosmic Bonus is edging towards $400,000 in earnings after notching his 68th win on Saturday, this time over 480m at Grafton. 

The champ, who will be six in December, led throughout in 27.57, fastest time of the meeting, taking his record to 68 wins, 25 seconds and 15 thirds from 140 races and boosting his prizemoney to $394,050. 

After winning nine of his past 13 starts, nobody could argue that Evelyn and Len Harris' old marvel is racing as well as ever. 

"I was a bit concerned that drawing box one which meant he would be in the second line placed into the boxes, Cosmic Bonus would be like a bear with a sore head trying to get out,'' Evelyn Harris said. 

"Usually the longer he is in the boxes there is more chance of him missing the jump because he gets so anxious. 

"But on Saturday for a change he stood up perfectly. 

"It's a pity we can't bring him down to Wentworth Park for a masters race when the Sydney track reopens on June 6 but there are plenty of valuable masters races in our Northern Rivers area and we can't wait to get back to Wenty eventually.'' 

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Black Fire Opal, who made a late start to his career after suffering an accident as a puppy while being reared, made it three starts for three wins with another all-the-way win over 272m at LADBROKES GARDENS on Saturday night. 

Trained by Cheryl Murray, whose champion old stager Blabba Mouth was retired in January after winning 27 races and over $214,000, Black Fire Opal was whelped in October, 2017, but has been lightly raced through breaking a knee-cap as a youngster. 

"We had to have the knee-cap pinned but then, when Black Fire Opal was ready to race, his galloping action was a bit clumsy and he tended to strike the back of his wrist with his hind leg,'' Murray said. 

"But applying strapping has sorted that problem out. 

"My son Luke bought Black Fire Opal, who is by Black Magic Opal from Fantasy Royale, as a pup. 

"Fantasy Royale is the dam of Kong, who won 15 races and over $53,000 for Luke and us, and we have two Fantasy Royale pups by Fernando Bale, who are two years old and will be racing soon. 

"We have just sent their names away and have high hopes for them as they are showing a lot of promise.'' 

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NICHOLE and Tony Mason along with Maree and Jack Smith are handing out the cigars with their outstanding bitches Miley Nismo and Irinka Lizzy whelping their first litters. 

The Masons' Miley Nismo, a daughter of Barcia Bale, has produced five puppies to boom sire ZIPPING Garth. 

Irinka Lizzy whelped eight babies to who else but the Smiths' super sprinter Feral Franky. 

The Feral Franky-Irinka Lizzy litter continues Jack and Maree Smith's liking for breeding "home grown'' youngsters, as they trained Feral Franky while Irinka Lizzy is a daughter of Irinka Luca and Irinka Alice, both Smith-trained greyhounds. 

Irinka Lizzy won 11 of 37 starts and had a personal best WP 520m time of 29.85 while Miley Nismo, whose best at WP was 29.78, was successful in 12 of 26 appearances. 

"Miley Nismo had four bitches and a dog and Nichole and I intend keeping them all to race ourselves,'' Tony Mason said.