Trainer Peter Fernie continued a long-standing family tradition when stable star Black George won the LR Hannans Handicap (1400m) in Kalgoorlie on Wednesday.

Black George (7g Blackfriars – Bumbelina by Vain Rancher) was tailed off in last year’s Hannans but raced right into calculations for this year feature sprint with a last start victory in the Kambalda Sprint.

Black George finished with a perfectly time run under Shaun O’Donnell to defeat Our Ol’ Fella (Halo Homewrecker) and Intimidator (Flying Spur) by over a length.  “We went back from the wide barrier and just needed room coming to the corner,” O’Donnell said.  “I knew we were home when the run came.”

A third generation conditioner, Fernie trains his team at Cambana Lodge.  His father John prepared Cambana Lad to win the Hannans in 1972 and the family later named their Kalgoorlie stables after him.  The grey flash went on to a Group 1 victory in the Railway Stakes at Ascot.

Black George is the 16th stakes winner for Blackfriars.  The Durham Lodge stallion has sired 150 individual winners of 465 races.  The Hannans winner is from Tilden Park mare Bumbelina who won 14 races up to Group 3 level in Perth.