Taking the Luk out

Harness racing driver Doctor Luk Chin rated Jasinova (Love You) to perfection in tonight’s $40,000 G3 HR Fisken and Sons Northern Trotting Breeders Stakes at Alexandra Park.

“She’s a real good stayer and not a sit and sprint horse. Some of the other times I’ve won in Auckland (with her) she’s run 3-27 so I thought I’d go to the front and if they beat me, they’d have to go faster than 3-27,” Chin said after the race.

The Tamahere horseman got Jasinova safely away from an unruly mark and took the six year old mare straight to the front. She held out a spirited late charge from backmarker Sacred Mountain, to win by half a length.

“The reason she was on the unruly was at her last start she got away and then broke. That’s why the stipe put her on the unruly. I did change her gear and took the overcheck off and put a chin rest on her because when she starts she throws her head down and hits the bit very hard.”

While other runners had to cope with handicaps and breaking horses Chin kept out of trouble, setting a solid pace in front. The winning time was 3-27.3 while Sacred Mountains off 35 metres posted a time of 3-24.8.

“I like to give my horses every chance. If they’re good enough they should be able to run the race out in front. Why not?”

The race record is held by Pretty Majestic which ran the trip in 3-23.9 when winning in 2020.

The win was Chin’s third in the northern trotting mare’s feature. He won with Fayanni in 2009 and 2010.

At 81 Chin is still practicing medicine in the community. He worked for forty one years at Waikato Hospital.

“I’ve got to. If I don’t, people don’t get treated.”

And he could well be the oldest driver in commission.

“Dick Prendergast rang me and said I was the oldest driver in harness racing to win a race. He told me that I’d beaten him. I didn’t know him, and I don’t know whether that’s true or not (laughter).”

Chin says he’s breeding from four mares and plans to carry on training but he’s not sure how long he’ll be allowed to drive.

“They are getting too tough on me. Every year I’ve got to have an x ray, an ECG – a full medical so I can keep my licence.”

Tonight’s win was well prescribed by the good Doctor.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink