Deny Everything back

Burnham harness racing trainer Mark Jones wasn’t sure whether Deny Everything (A Rocknroll Dance) would ever return to winning form after returning to the racetrack. 

The now seven year old gelding had leg issues and a number of wind operations but he resumed his career at Addington earlier this month, having last raced in December 2021. 

He won his first race at Oamaru in November 2019 and was then away from racing for ten months returning on a winning note in September 2021. That win was the start of a four race winning streak. In that campaign he had two other starts, with a tenth and an eighth and then he disappeared off the radar again. 

In today’s pacing feature over 1609 metres at Wyndham, driver Samantha Ottley used the horse’s explosive gate speed to push forward from the wide draw. When the trailing horse Might Reactor (Auckland Reactor) broke behind early pacemaker Mach’s Back, (Mach Three) Ottley was able to slot in the vacant trailing position. At the 400 Mach’s Back was joined by Life Of Art (Art Major). Ottley elected to ease off the back of Mach’s Back in the straight and with 150 metres to run she pulled the ear plugs, and Deny Everything went down to the line to win by two lengths.  

The winning time was a respectable 1-54.3. Brookies Player (Shadow Play) ran home for second.  

DENY EVERYTHING REPLAY

Ottley, who has now driven the giant pacer in five of his six wins was thrilled to see the horse recapture winning form after being away from the track for so long. 

“He put pay to them pretty easily. He was very strong at the end,” she said. 

Today was just the horse’s thirteenth start. 

“He’s a lovely boy to have around. He’s A Rocknroll Dance and a few people don’t really like them but he’s a big gentleman.”  

She said trainer Mark Jones will now have to sit down and map out a winter pathway for the talented pacer. 

For complete race entries, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink