Jake the comeback -child

Eight year old Jake (Bettor’s pleasure) Not only his age when he won today at Methven, but also the very long gap between races.

The gelding had his last start for his original trainer Dean Taylor on the Methven -track in December 2021 and did not raced at all like a five, six or seven years old.

“He has always shown that he had the opportunity. At his first start at Forbury Dean he thought he would win, but he was defeated by a horse Darryn Simpson (Parama) who won four races,” said owner Grahame Scurr.

After winning three races for Taylor, Jake ignored who required surgery.

“Dean worked him up again, but at his first start he roared again, so that was it. He was such a pretty small horse that I didn’t feel like getting rid of him. I started to prepare, much more than you would do with most horses.”

Scurr prepared Jake for his property of Lincoln, jogged him around the paddocks and took him to Motukarara for Ross Cameron to make him work quickly.

“Normally my wife (bees) let him go and I would jog one day. But one day she wasn’t at home, so I let him go and he stood back, got me against the wall and I broke four vertebrae in my back.”

Cameron then took over the training and has the gelding since June of this year.

In today’s race, Cameron was comfortable in front of the gelding to be parked and at the end of the 2400 meters he had a length over favorite Moonshiner who ran home late with Vermeer Luster a nose back in third place.

Jake Replay

“If I work him, he is not overly tough or brave. He is good after speed and he has that real acceleration when he comes from a path. I didn’t have him that long, so I still learn about him. I was quite impressed with his victory today,” Cameron said.

Cameron trains at Coes Ford at the Selwyn River.

“In the winter we get pretty wet here, so I had many problems with his feet such as abscesses and mud fever.”

Jake has now won three races on the grass, so the eight -year -old must be suitable for the grass trail races in the summer.

“He only goes from R35 to R40 and many of those standing start races in that class. We will watch the Blue September Invitational Drivers Race in Motukarara. It will be the same type of field and the penalty -free if you win.”

Cameron also supplemented HRNZ to re -assess Jake’s rating because the horse was away from the races for so long.

“They did great with him and dropped him so many points as for his time -out.”

Prior to today’s winning, Jake’s last victory was in March 2021 in Oamaru as a four -year -old – a racing -grayhame and BEV remember well.

“It was so wet that he came eleven wide wide. We ran back to the stable that was so excited because we were second and then they called him first, so we could turn around and ran back. It was quite an incredible run,” Scurr said.

Over the years, Grahame and Bev have raced a few horses with best trio their best so far. He won five for Taylor and was placed seventeen times in sixty -six starts.

Let’s hope the comeback -child can improve that record.

For complete race results, Click here.

Through Bruce StewartFor Harnesslink