Euroa horseman David Jack can boast winning both feature races at the rich Bathurst carnival after Major Kiss took out the $100 000 Group One Gold Tiara final for twoyear-old fillies last Saturday night.
Picture: Bathurst Harness Racing ClubMission accomplished: Saturday night. David Jack and Major Kiss took out the Group One Gold Tiara for juvenile fillies at Bathurst on
Major Kiss continued a family tradition in the time honoured juvenile feature with her gutsy win after racing three wide over the final 1000 m.
But she kept coming and had the audacity to shake her rivals, who had enjoyed much cosier runs, in the drive to the line with a scorching 56.2 last half.
Jack won the Gold Crown for twoyear-old colts and geldings in 2007 with Yrubla (Albury spelt backwards).
‘‘She always showed a bit from the time we broke her in and we were hoping she would be good, but you never want to get too excited too early. But there is a lot of depth to her and she will have a spell before being prepared for the Vicbred and Breeders Crown series,’’ Jack said summing up the Art Major filly’s dominant win.
The dam of Major Kiss, Miss Kenny, was also a Bathurst Gold Tiara heat winner and finished fourth in the final to Distant Memory in 2013 for Jack.
And Lombo Pow Wow, the grandam of Major Kiss, won a heat and was second in the final to Bona Vista in 2005.
Jack had a big week at Bathurst as he also claimed the three-year-old trotters Gold Coronet feature with his promising filly Princess Mila.
It was awfully close to a Jack family dominance of the Gold Tiara and Gold Crown features with Jack’s nephew, Shepparton’s Nathan Jack, producing Abouttime for a gallant second to the favourite College Chapel in the Gold Crown final.
Drive, fly, drive, win
Shepparton’s ace horseman Nathan Jack seemed to be everywhere at Easter — and he was.
But how he did it would have had some trots lovers scratching their heads.
Jack drove at Bathurst on Saturday night where he finished runner-up in the Gold Crown final with Abouttime, a two-year-old he trains and drives.
Then he bobbed up on Sunday in Victoria at the Warragul and Echuca programs where he enjoyed success a both meetings.
With his one drive at Warragul he took the cup with the Dean Brauntrained Cruz Bromac before heading to Echuca where he drove two winners, including one he trains himself.
Jack said he floated horses back to Benalla from Bathurst on Sunday morning before getting a ride to Loxley where John Nissen, a trainer and pilot, flew him in his light plane to meet his engagement at Warragul.
Then it was back in the air again, arriving at Echuca at 6 pm to fulfil five drives.
It’s little wonder he gave driving at Monday’s Wedderburn meeting a miss.
Lyn loses her battle
Kyabram Trotting Club lost a popular stalwart with the death at the weekend of Lyn Chambers after a battle with cancer.
Chambers held the position of assistant secretary and race day secretary of the club since the early 1970s.
Long-serving club secretarytreasurer Ian Purdey said Chambers was a much-admired person at the club and a life member who would be sadly missed.
‘‘She was up with all the breeding and was a really keen follower of the sport,’’ Purdey said.
She shared the love of the sport with her husband, Ian, who is a well-known hobby trainer and horse breaker who has had his share of success.
‘‘They were regulars at district meetings and regularly attended Inter Dominion Championships and other major races in Australia and New Zealand over the years,’’ Purdey said.
Chambers’ funeral took place at Kyabram yesterday.
Custodian at his best
Talented Nathan Jack-trained trotter Custodian continued his successful comeback when he completed back-to-back wins last week at Melton.
The four-year-old son of Muscle Mass showed his customary gate speed to lead throughout from barrier four over the 2240 m trip to record a comfortable victory.
Custodian had won at his previous start at Melton on March 16 when he posted a PB 1:58.1 for the 1720 m trip.
His large syndicate of owners include Shepparton Harness Racing Club life member Laurie Cormican.
Custodian made his return to racing after an 11-month stay on the sidelines through injury in a Monte at Melton on March 10, but ruined his chances when he galloped at the start as favourite.
But he quickly atoned for that blemish on his resume which boasts nine wins, five seconds and a third from 18 starts and more than $167 000 in prize money.
Custodian won the two-year-old Breeders Crown final as a twoyear-old and also the NSW Trotters Derby as a three-year-old before going amiss.
He knows how to win
Another Shepparton-trained winner last week at Melton was also another former New Zealander Scotlynn Jack.
The five-year-old Courage Under Fire gelding, who is trained by Laura Crossland and driven by David Moran, made it five wins in Australia from eight tries with his victory in a M0 Only class event.
His other Aussie runs produced a second, a third and a fourth, so he has been a model of consistency.
In his latest win he posted a PB 1:55.0 mile rate for the 1720 m dash.
Scotlynn Jack had 11 starts for three wins in Kiwiland before heading across the Tasman.
Six up for Joezac
Well-travelled pacer Joezac notched his sixth win when he saluted in a C2-C3 class event last week at Maryborough.
Now being prepared by Shepparton horseman Russell Jack, Joezac was driven to victory by Shannon O’Sullivan, daughter of last year’s Gordon Rothacker medallist and Inter Dominion winning trainer Jim O’Sullivan.
Joezac is actually owned by youthful reinsman Ben Woodsford who works for the Jacks, but the race was restricted to drivers with 10 wins or less which ruled him ineligible to drive in the race.
Joezac posted a slick 1:56.2 for the 1690 m trip, but has a personal best 1:53.7 clocked winning a race at Menangle in April last year.
He was a winner at Cobram on January 7 when driven by Woodsford and Maryborough was his fifth outing since then.
Shepparton reinsman Mark Pitt was also a winner at the meeting, partnering the Emma Stewarttrained Intrusive to any easy win in a C1 Only class race.
Menewa not on nose
The name of the game is trotting and that’s what five-year-old Muscle Hill gelding Menewa did — albeit only just — to win an eventful finish to a T1-T2 class last week at Kilmore.
Trained by Tatura horseman David Abrahams Menewa reaped the rewards for continuing to trot in the concluding stages when the potential winner and pacesetter Jacksons Square galloped after he seemingly had the race at his mercy.
But on the home bend Menewa also looked in danger of galloping, but was held together by his driver Nathan Jack.
In a where-do-you-look finish Our Quick Cash was also staking a possible winning claim when he went off stride.
The Mark Lee-trained and driven Col Du Galibier finished the race off nicely to place second to Menewa who is a Yabby Dams Farmsbred trotter.
It was Menewa’s second win from 16 tries and it was a good couple of days for Abrahams who had produced Missed the last rain to win at Shepparton the previous day.
Goulburn Valley trainers had a good day at Kilmore with Tatura trainer Craig Turnbull producing At First Sight to win aC 0 Only class race with Mark Pitt in the sulky, while the talented David Aikentrained and Chris Alford-driven three-year-old Higher than an eagle notched his third win from 12 starts.
Baressi of margins
Tatura trainer-driver Tony Baressi had to endure two close photo-finishes in successive races last week at Shepparton.
The first result went against Baressi when the David Abrahamstrained and Kima Frenning-driven Missed the last rain held out the Baressi runner Bad Boy Jay Jay in a T0 Only class trot.
But Baressi made amends in the following race to lead throughout on Rosalee Dot Com to claim her maiden win at her ninth try.
Baressi utilised Rosalee Do Com’s barrier one draw and she just held off the John Newberrytrained and Matt Newberry-driven Blue Chip Madam in a two-horse duel to the finishing line.
Road to success
It was a good night for district trainers and drivers at Shepparton last week with a host of winners.
Apart from the wins of Missed the last rain, Rosa lee Dot Com and Lombo Idle Belief, other GV wins at the meeting were recorded.
The Laura Crossland-trained and driven Share The Road made it four wins on the trot from five Aussie starts, the Russ Thomson-trained and Damien Wilson-driven Lets rock lets roll upset some more fancied runner sin a1690md ash for C1 Only class pacers, while Wantalinga Dream kept finding when leading for reinsman Ryan Duffy and trainer Bryan Johnstone to take the honours in aC 1 Only class event.
Roaring for Rory
Giant trotter Rory McHinson completed a hat-trick of wins and earned another rousing reception from his band of vocal Kyabram owners when he saluted at Echuca on Sunday.
Off a 10 m handicap the fouryear-old gave his rivals a start and a beating with an early move from the rear to the front of the field by his driver John Caldow proving to be a winning one.
Trained by Kyabram’s Mick Blackmore, Rory McHinson is building an impressive record with his six starts to date producing three wins at his past three starts, two seconds and a third.
Rory McHinson completed a driving double for Caldow who had scored on another Kyabram-trained pacer, the Brent Thomsonprepared Sheer Modern earlier in the program.
Five of the best
District trainers and drivers had a good night at Echuca, claiming five winners, including the last four races on the 10-event card.
After the Brent Thomson-trained Sheer Modern had saluted in race four for reinsman John Caldow, Nathan Jack followed up in race seven with the pacer he trains and drives, Scottlyn Beach.
This was followed by wins by trotter Rory McHinson, the Keith Cotchin-trained two-year-old Betternbetter with Jeff Gledhill and son Ben claiming the final event on Zozo Ma Gogo.
Jack also piloted the Joe Abelatrained Wonderforce to a win at the meeting.
