Jackalack Sue made it back-to-back claiming race wins when prevailing in the narrowest and most exciting of finishes in race 8.
The mare joined trainer-driver Robbie Holmes’ Leithfield Beach stable four starts ago, which has reignited her career.
"She has just enjoyed the beach. She is a tough thing."
The pacer trailed favourite Bevan’s Cullen who not only generated interest on the tote, but multiple claims which will result in his lining up for a new stable next start.
Jackalack Sue sprinted along the passing lane and got her nose in front where it mattered to hold out the favourite.
The winner was already booked in for next week’s $10,000 Claiming Series final at Forbury Park, but further cemented that with last night’s victory.
Nothing was likely to be more of a mad dash than the card’s 1200m sprint and it certainly did not disappoint.
There were no excuses following the race either, after Jetenara worked hard sitting parked before kicking too strongly for his rivals to win for trainer Kirstin Barclay and driver Dexter Dunn.
The win came on the back of the a polar opposite performance at Invercargill earlier this month when Jetenara led and dropped out to run what those adept at cockney rhyming slang would label a Barry Crocker.
"He let me down last start, so its good that he turned it around," Barclay said.
"It was just a bad day at the office."
The trainer then worked her magic on the horse leading into last night’s event, changing his training regime to ready him for sprint racing.
"We just freshened him and did some new things with him during the week and kept him happy.
"We thought the 1200m might suit him."
In winning, the horse booked his place in next Thursday night’s $10,000 Sprint Series final.
Like Jackalack Sue, Lord Roydon also made it back-to-back Forbury Park wins when he claimed race 5 last night.
The only difference between his two victories was that the horse was not quite as far back in the field as he was last week when winning his maiden for trainer Michael House and driver Dexter Dunn.
Dunn also took out the previous event on the card, race 4, when he extricated the Stephen Hale-trained Il Divo from three back on the markers to win.
Canterbury trainers also secured the next two races on the card when the Dean Taylor-trained Flamboyant won race 6 and the David Pearce-trained All Nuts N Bolts won race 7 in the hands of junior driver Sam Payne.
Pearce’s parents, John and Helen Pearce, of West Melton, who are both in their 80, recently took an interest in All Nuts N Bolts.
The pacer is the first horse the couple have raced in the past 20 years and second in total, David Pearce said. He was delighted to be able to land a winner for his parents who were watching on proudly at home, he said.
- Jonny Turner
