It dates back to 1955, when Leli and Mary Mifsud migrated from Malta and settled in Kilmore. The couple raised eight children, and with them was born a deep and abiding passion for harness racing.
Most of the family has remained in the district and the sport remains strong through the generations.
On Sunday in Boort, that legacy added another proud chapter when Mary-Jane Mifsud, from Bagshot near Bendigo, trained The Dark Thunder (Skyvalley NZ) to victory in the 2026 Boort Trotting Cup (March 1).
For the mother of two, it was one of the biggest wins of her career.
“It was fantastic because my parents, Aussie and Julie, were both there. My mother can’t always come to the meetings, so that was very special,” said Mary-Jane.
Julie is the couple’s head coach, while husband Aussie handles the racing duties. In a twist that made the Boort result even better, Mary-Jane managed to tone down her father’s colors in the feature.
“My mum and dad had a horse in the trotting cup and dad rode him, so I guess I have bragging rights now,” Mary-Jane laughed.
The Dark Thunder’s victory was anything but easy.
“I wasn’t very confident and after getting on the wrong foot at the start and galloping away I thought he had screwed up,” Mifsud said.
“Then he was galloping into the run, but when Sean (O’Sullivan) took him away from inside he seemed a lot happier. He did a really great job because he was way behind them at one point.
“Sean is doing his form and taking it all in. They have now won their last two starts and I might consider competing in the Wangaratta Trotters Cup at Shepparton next Sunday evening.
“They had had a lot of rain at Boort and it was an honor for the club that the track held up and all races were held.”
For Mary-Jane it was almost inevitable to follow her parents into harness racing.
“I must have been about six or seven when I started pony trotting and it just kept going from there,” Mifsud said.
“I got my junior license and competed for eight years before I decided to phase that out and concentrate on the training side of it.
“I currently have four horses working – in addition to The Dark Thunder, there is a 2-year-old trotter and two yearlings.
“I race The Dark Thunder with our two children in Charlie, 10, and Lilly-Rose, 4. If people at Boort had heard a lot of shouting during the cup it would have been Charlie. He loves the horses and really gets involved.”
Mary-Jane now has 91 career wins to her name and has had success with a number of crafty artists, including Lelis Boy (14 wins), Jaz Equity (11), Awesome Jasper (7), Imnopumpkin and Majestic Ga Ga (6 each) and Mister Bellisimo (5).
Meanwhile, Terang rider Matthew Horsnell, who is doing a great job with his small team, recorded another milestone with experienced pacer Dhaulagiri (American ideal) in the Boort Pacing Cup.
The gelding was well handled by Lochie Cook and the win was his 21st of 138 starts for $221,000.
Horsnell and Dhaulagiri won the St Arnaud Cup last November and now the pair could soon cross the border to tackle the Kapunda Cup next Sunday (March 8).
By Terry Gange for Harnesslink
#legacy #Mifsud #family #continues #Boort #Trotting #Cup