Cox Jaccka Justyfied (Sunday 29th January 2012)
Bruce Stewart
Southland reinman Jonny Cox drove Jaccka Jack right through to open class but now his attention has switched to driving it's younger brother Jaccka Justy - the new rising star in Southland trotting circles. "Jack's always been my drive but I jumped off him onto Justy which was Charlie's (trainer Charlie Smaill) choice and I'm happy with the way it's worked out. I've always said he was better than Jack and as long as he keeps improving he should win at least as many races as him." said Cox.
"Once we're covered the first 100 to 150 metres and he was trotting good I let him roll forward and he felt pretty good in front the whole way. It was pretty windy out there and we didn't go too hard. We sprinted home so that suited him and he had a bit left in the tank." said Cox.
"He's come a long way in a short time and he's stepped up each time I've asked him to. He panicked a bit at his last start but that's just part of learning. His manners are winning him races. He's got high speed and he can stay a bit so I think he can make it to the top grade but whether he can beat them is a different story. They're a pretty good bunch of trotters at the moment but he won't be a mile off them."
It's a family affair with Jaccka Justy - Picture Eddie Griffiths
$102 Tommy (Sunday 29th January 2012)
One commentator described it as "the upset of the century" when Southland bred pacer Highview Tommy beat two Australian superstars - Sushi Sushi and Smoken Up in the $125,000 Group One Ballarat Cup last night. In doing so the product of Highview Stud in Riverton paid a massive $102. on the Australian tote.
While Sushi Sushi and Smoken Up were head to head at the top of the field, trainer/driver Mark Purdon sat Highview Tommy four back on the outside.
Highview Tommy after winning last years Invercargill Cup
The night of racing at Ballarat was dominated by New Zealand horses. Kiwi horses quinellaed the three Interdominion Heats. The Fiery Ginga and Vulcan were the first two home in the first heat, Stylish Monarch and Springbank Richard quinellaed the second, while I Can Doosit deadheated with Aussie trained I Didn't Do It in the last heat with Sovereignty second.
Driver Andrew Armour took the four year old straight to the front. He was challenged for the lead by Adam Sanderson and All Our Zuri but carried too many guns for his struggling rivals running his last 400 metres in 28.9.
The four year old was having his second start after running fourth at Gore in October for trainer Murray Brown.
The gelding is owned by Charlie and Ailsa Smaill and is by McArdle out of True Jaccka. He’s a half brother to Jaccka Turbo which won five races for trainers Graeme Anderson (1) and Wayne Adams (4).
Brown is likely to look for a junior drivers event for the gelding.
Struth Cobber (Friday 13th January 2012)
Bruce Stewart
Racing as a maiden against tighter assessed horses is not the conventional way to race, but because he figured the gelding needed to gain experience to match it's talent, thats what co-trainer Robin Swain decided to do with his trotter Cool Cobber.
The four year old was having his sixth start yesterday and he was up against Talkmeintoit the winner of four races, and a field of other higher graded trotters.
The four year old, after qualifying impressively, had recorded three duck eggs in his first three starts. However, he started to get his act together with improved runs at Invercargill (4th) and Roxburgh (2nd).
Swain made some minor alterations to his gear for yesterday’s run.
Swain also says that it’s important not to have him stand for too long at the start but he is starting to step away correctly.
In yesterday’s ICE Bloodstock Special Handicap Trot Cool Cobber was nursed away before Swain took him to the lead with 1700 metres to run and after that his driver was confident.
Bonus For Compton Street (Friday 13th January 2012)
From the outside of the second row Armour was able to move through the field from the mobile dispatch and secure the one one early. He then moved the Bettor’s Delight gelding out with 1600 metres to run to sit parked outside leader Cheryl West.
Compton Street hit the lead at the top of the straight and held on to beat Chokullen, which trailed the leader and came up the passing lane by a nose.
Bruce Stewart
The Mach Three gelding was able to get away with some slow middle sectionals before peeling off a 55.4 last 800 metres to beat favourite Mah Sish by two and three quarter lengths with Glencoe VC a neck back in third.
Yesterday’s win was Artiface’s eighth from only eighteen starts and elevated his stake earnings to $108,783.
The Invercargill Cup could be next for the five year old.
The run of Glencoe VC indicated that he is destined for a big future while Franco Ledger also ran on well for fifth. There was also improvement in the runs of Flying Diamonds (6th) and Lord Forbes (8th).
Coutts Cup (Friday 6th January 2012)
It was a remarkable run.
False Promise was second last turning for home in yesterdays Currie Motors Toyota Roxburgh Cup and in front of him were some classy horses, including San Rafaella, Still Coughin, Flying Diamonds and Christian Ruler.
The five year old, with trainer driver Keith Coutts, lead early before handing up to Christian Ruler. Still Coughin swept around to the lead before he too handed up to favourite San Rafaella with 800 metres to run - leaving False Promise four back on the running line.
The finish looked likely to be between the leading five with False Promise four lengths off the back of this group at the top of the straight but Coutts hooked him wide and he rattled home to win by a half a length. "He likes the heat on so the harder they go the better he goes. He was on the bit all the way and I thought about running up the passing lane but decided to bring him down the outside. They seem to try better when you bring them down the outside. He's best when you get one run at them," said Coutts.
Keith Coutts bought False Promise for $6,000 and owns the gelding with his wife Lorraine and granddaughter Angela. "Craig D Thornley drove him at a couple of trials and said "Couttsy he can run" so that's how I got interested in him. I said to the owners that I'd give them $6,000. They said $7,500 so I walked away. They came back and said okay."
He's by Life Sign out of the New York Motoring mare Festiva which is a half sister to Swift Mirage the winner of seven races. He's very closely related to Chokin. "The mother was up for sale recently in foal and with a foal at foot. She went for $17,000. I wish I'd bought her."
The dual gaited False Promise qualified as a pacer at Mount Harding Racecourse in November 2009 and as a trotter a year later at Ashburton. He has started four times as a trotter - the last time at Addington in November, finishing sixth behind Sunbrite. "He lost a 100 metres and went up to them but then went up in the air. He can trot as fast as he can pace. I'll race him again as a trotter when he gets a bit older and matures."
False Promise is the veteran of seventy three starts. As a pacer he'd finished second behind classy performers Pay Me Cullen and Empyrean. He started in last years Pelorus Classic at Blenheim finishing last but behind Choise Achiever, Smiling Shard and Franco Emirate. Prior to yesterdays win he finished second behind Scarrymcleary at Omakau on Monday, and Coutts plans to start him in the Alabar Cromwell Cup at the Wyndham meeting at Cromwell on Sunday. "He was pawing the ground when he got swabbed so he was just wanting to get on with it. He cleans up his feed and backs up good. He loves the travel and is a real gentleman."
"She raced with a different shoe on each foot. The older she got the worse she got at trotting so we retired her. I'll send her to Diedre Don." Coutts also has high hopes for qualified pacer Double Vision; a three year old by Red River Hanover out of Far Sighted which is a half brother to the Ken Barron trained Still Chokin. "Every time Still Chokin started he was favourite. I was talking to Ken one day and said I had a half brother to him (Still Chokin) and he asked what it was by and I told him Red River Hanover. Hhe said nothing but I think he thought best of luck. We've had the best by Stakhanovite (Staka Pride), Lislea (Darby Doll) and Peoples Blue Chip (Lento) so we might just get the best Red River Hanover."
Double Vision, which is related to Roydon Glen qualified at Ashburton but is unraced. "He can run but hangs a bit so I just need to sort him out."
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