MARTINO “STARS” WITH FIRST CITY WINNER

FABIO Martino never doubted he could get a breakthrough victory in town with Tokyo Star.

It’s been a few years in the making, but it came true at Canterbury Friday night.

The 33-year-old Hawkesbury trainer put his name up in lights in town when Tokyo Star ($4.60), given a superb Tommy Berry ride, took out the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1900m).

It was Martino’s 14^th career success and third with Tokyo Star – and understandably it meant a lot to him.

“I have always believed in this mare, and was confident she would be my first city winner,” he said today.

“She was the first winner I trained for a client as well.”

Martino was referring to the fact that his first ever winner (Eliseo at Canberra in November 2022) was raced by his father Paolo and himself, and jokingly said at the time he might have been an “April Fool”, having taken out his licence on April 1 that year.

Former Victorian Tokyo Star won at Wellington over 1100m in May 2024 and two runs later also scored at Armidale over 1400m.

However, she was off the scene for 16 months until reappearing at Newcastle’s Beaumont track in late October last year when narrowly beaten in a Benchmark 66 Handicap (1350m).

“There was nothing seriously wrong, but she needed time to mature,” Martino explained.

“I gave her a spell and brought her back and wasn’t happy, so I gave her more time in the paddock.

“She has come back really well and to win my first race in town with her last night was a great thrill.

“I wasn’t sure she would get over some ground, but her breeding (she was sired by the former top-class Japanese horse Staphanos, who stands at stud in New Zealand) indicated she would.”

Martino said he didn’t give Tommy Berry pre-race instructions other than to “go out there and win.”

“You don’t need to give the top jockeys instructions,” he said. “Tommy rode her brilliantly, and she won well.”

Berry gave Tokyo Star time to settle, waited until straightening before making his run and then, after hitting the front, she comfortably defeated leading trainer Chris Waller’s pair Emballee ($5) and Marebello ($4.20).

Martino emigrated to Australia nearly a dozen years ago with the express aim of becoming a trainer, and Waller was one of the men from whom he learnt his craft, along with David Payne, Gary Moore, Paul Messara and Michael Freedman before branching out in his own right.

He has on average 20 horses in work at Hawkesbury, and is looking to win another city race soon with newcomer Spartus, a strong-finishing third over 1000m at Warwick Farm last Monday.

The Capitalist four-year-old and three-times Queensland winner (raced by Spartus Bloodstock) was having only his second start for Martino since joining his team from leading Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan

Martino’s triumph was one of five winners on Friday for provincial stables.

Kembla Grange father and son Rob and Luke Price also were successful at Canterbury, scoring with Monte Kate ($4 favorite) in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1250m).

Monte Kate left her rivals with no excuses, humping 60kg under apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald, prompting co-trainer Rob Price to say she now deserves a crack at Saturday grade in town.

Wyong trainers Kristen Buchanan and Nikki Hodgson both returned home from Taree with a winner apiece.

Buchanan landed the Maiden Handicap (1000m) with lightly-raced Tassort three-tear-old Aeternum ($3.90), continuing Newcastle apprentice Shannen Llewellyn’s great week after winning his first city race at Warwick Farm on Australia Day, and Hodgson won the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1000m) with $13 chance Beersheba, ridden by experienced Newcastle jockey Andrew Gibbons.

Kembla Grange trainer Ross McConville ventured to Bathurst, where he won the Maiden Plate (1400m) with Excuseme Mrofficer ($11), ridden by Robyn Freeman.

That was the only race run as the meeting was called off after jockey Adrian Layt was dislodged from $2.05 favorite Sharbino when the filly slipped and fell on the home turn.

A delegation of senior jockeys then inspected the home turn, and along with RacingNSW stewards had concerns that the footing was safe to continue racing.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, FEBRUARY 1, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS