Racing: Change of scenery may do trick

Jaccka Justy and Jonny Cox team up once again at Forbury Park tonight. Matt Smith.
Jaccka Justy and Jonny Cox team up once again at Forbury Park tonight. Matt Smith.
Jaccka Justy and Jonny Cox are in different locations these days, but the Dominion-winning pair will combine once again at Forbury Park tonight.

Cox, who moved north from Dunedin to Canterbury in March, started work with Michael House earlier this week after six weeks with Ken Barron, while Jaccka Justy - formerly with Amber Hoffman at Westwood Beach - is now back in the care of his Riversdale owner-breeder, Charlie Smaill.

''He wasn't going as good as we had hoped on the beach,'' Cox said.

''We thought Charlie gets on good with him and when he goes back there, [Charlie] always does a good job with him.

''It's a big ask off 60m but it's just to see where he's at and there's a race up here [at Addington]. So we'll see what he does and then carry on.''

The son of Continentalman will have plenty ahead of him when he starts off the back mark over 2700m, having failed to flatter at Addington in March and Ascot Park last month.

Cox hopes the change of scenery could get the 8yr-old back on track.

''He's been at the beach a long time, so hopefully Charlie has worked the oracle with him.''

Cox will have less time to figure out the game plan for One Out Of Four in the first of the Forbury sprint series heats to be held this winter.

The 5yr-old will start from barrier 11 - four on the second line - although the race history shows a second-line draw is not necessarily a hindrance.

''It's not the worst as long as they go hard up front,'' Cox said.

''A couple of them have won from the second line. He'll still need things to go his way, but the way he went first-up for Amber was really good. If he can produce that again, he shouldn't be a mile away.''

The son of Badlands Hanover still has plenty to learn about racing, after breaking and being pulled up by previous trainer Steve Dolan at Addington last month.

''[Amber] said he's pretty green and talking to Steve Dolan a couple of weeks ago, he said the same thing,'' ''Racing's probably going to be the making of him. If we can get away safely and get across in the running line, we'll see how we get on.''

Cox said smart trotting mare Och Aye The Noo (race 7) should improve from tonight's run, while Big Is Good (race 1) ''might be a roughie to start the night off''.

Cox also gives The Lion's Roar a chance to win out of his grade in the Super Series mobile pace (race 5) at Addington tomorrow.

''He went super in his first run back. It's a step up, but if we can get a soft run and a drag into it, he will be a great chance.''

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