The beauty about having a farm with plenty of acres, according to Kempsey trainer Vince Jones, is that preparation work for racing can be done at home, hence leading to the win of Star Bid at Port Macquarie just over a week ago.
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He also reckons that his other galloper, six-year-old mare Pin High, a handy fourth to Rigamarole in the Old Boys Cup at Wauchope on Saturday, is nearing a win following similar work at home.
Jones has slashed a six kilometre route to ride his racehorses along to get them ready for racing, thus not necessitating a visit to the track, except for a special gallop. And the two gallopers he is putting through their paces were cheap buys off the internet.
Five-year-old gelding Star Bid was previously trained by Todd Howlett and was advertised on the internet and bought by Jones in February.
It was having its 10th start for him when leading all the way over 1506m at Port to score by a half length from Ultimate Decision, becoming a professional placegetter for Taree trainer Ross Stitt.
“In his first few runs he kept running into bad luck,” said Jones.
Three starts back Star Bid was “skittled” in a Randwick Highway race before running 11th at odds of 200-1, only beaten 3.5 lengths.
Next start was at Wyong where Star Bid was also handy early before finishing fourth over 1600m, so the Port race proved to be ideal for the front-running gelding.
“Jockey Josh Parr reckons Star Bid won’t get a strong mile.”
The gelding’s next run is likely to be over 1500m at Port on Saturday.
As far as Pin High is concerned, it is looking for further than the 1800m of the Wauchope race.
The mare four starts ago was second over 2050m at Newcastle to Randwick galloper Esteban which went on to score with ridiculous ease in a couple of races in Sydney and is being aimed towards big staying Spring races.
Just after he bought her, he let the previous owners from South West Rocks know how she was working and they cleaned up with her scoring at Kempsey after being backed from $21 to $6.50.
Her run at Wauchope was a pointer to longer races as her placing was on back of a let-up and only one race start since.
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Albury trainer Jodie Bohr came north about two months ago with a team of gallopers to escape the wet tracks in the area but until Saturday her foray north on a working holiday has also been dogged by rain-affected tracks.
She had managed three placings before her six-year- old gelding Midnight Swing found a good track to score a win at Wauchope Jockey Club’s meeting on Saturday.
The win was by a short, half-head but the much needed first prizemoney of $3340 has helped finances.
“We came up to escape the wet tracks and it has been all downhill until today,” she said.
They have managed to defray accommodation costs with the help of former Taree trainer David Matts and his wife,Julie,giving them a caravan to stay in at Coffs Harbour.
The Matts arrived back from a round Australia trip and were only too happy to help them.
Midnight Spring was bred in Albury and is owned by the president of the Albury Race Club, David Wallace.
The Albury track is undergoing a track upgrade to minimise flooding.
In the meantime, according to Bohr’s partner, Brian Sawatske, they will “keep wacking away” with horses on the northern trip.
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Coming from Scone to Wauchope to get away from wet tracks also worked for trainer Jenelle Butler with her five-year-old gelding I Am Dynamic scoring by 2.5 lengths at Saturday’s Old Boy Cup meeting at Wauchope after being three wide for most of the race.
“The horse has been screaming out for a dry track,”according to head owner Barry McDonald.
“He has had a wind operation and it is nice to get its maiden win out of the way.”
