Anton’s Group 1 gamble pays off

A courageous roll of the dice by astute Victorian harness racing trainer Anton Golino has delivered another Group one victory to Australia’s most passionate trotting outfit, Yabby Dam Farms.

Im Ready Jet (Quaker Jet) took her career stakes to $700,000 with a tough and emphatic win in the $100,000 Slingsby Holdings McArthur Mile Trotting Mares at Menangle tonight (May 4).

It came after a disappointing run in the Bendigo Trotters Cup a week ago and Im Ready Jet looked an entirely different horse at Menangle.

“She is just a great horse.  All credit has got to go to Anton to turn her around in a week. No boots, no shoes – like who would be game enough to do that? Definitely not me! But that’s why he’s the man he is,” Jack said.

“They probably give me four or five group one winners every year so it’s a great stable, a great breed, it’s a lot of hard work, Anton, Pat (Driscoll) and all the staff, and I’m just lucky enough to get on them raceday,” he said.

It was the seven-year old’s 25^th career win, including multiple group ones, but she has lived somewhat in the shadow of horses of her generation including Just Believe and her nemesis in the mares’ ranks, Queen Elida.

Jack admitted after the race he thought he was “no hope” when Queen Elida landed in front, leaving Im Ready Jet in the death seat early until cover came in the form of Shes Ruby Roo (Greg Sugars).

Jack then made his run on the home corner and Im Ready Jet did the rest – scoring by 1.6 metres over Queen Elida (Chris Alford), with Majestic Trio (Cameron Hart) a further 18 metres away third.

IM READY JET REPLAY

“She is just a great mare. When you think she is about done, she comes out and does something stupid like that – she was just unbelievable tonight,” he said.

For complete race results, click here.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink