Douglas celebrates first double at Bendigo

Victorian harness racing trainer Jennifer Douglas isn’t one to seek out the limelight – but her first ever training double at Bendigo’s Feb 19 meeting was definitely cause for a family celebration.

Douglas, the daughter of trainer the late Keith Douglas and his wife Judy, was a Clerk of Course at numerous central Victorian tracks until about five years ago, and this confined her training to just one horse.

But now, pushed on by an enthusiastic next generation in the sport in her son Brock Gibson, Jennifer has expanded the stable and is enjoying the results.

“I really just trained one at a time until July last year. But I’m getting a hand from Brock and we’re working three now – but I think we’ll just keep it to that, though!” Douglas said.

The first leg of the double came as a breakthrough maiden win for Muselet (Sweet Lou), owned by Nathan Cahir, having just its second start for the Douglas team.

The five-year-old was driven to perfection by Jordan Leedham, who is a good mate of Brock’s.

Ther second leg was again courtesy of Leedham on the family-owned Mitchell Wrap (Danny Bouchea), a consistent trotter who has taken his record to six wins and six placings from just 29 starts and was sent out at a short $3.50 quote after a Melton trial win earlier in the month.

“I’m not sure I thought before the race we could get the double – it was a standing start trot!” Douglas said.

“If he hadn’t gone away, I would have said ‘no hope’, he couldn’t do it, but when he stepped away we were fairly happy with how things were looking.”

Mitchell Wrap began safely but slowly, with Leedham content to watch the race unfold from the rear, before peeling the five-year-old out with 500 metres to go. He finished strongly to score by four metres.

“My dad bred him, way back when, and we broke him in,” Douglas said.

“Dad gave a third share in the horse to Brock and a third to my partner Graham (Gibson) and mum effectively has the remaining share now.  He’s an awesome bloke, just a great horse to have in the stable,” she said.

“When dad was alive he would travel with us anywhere we’d go, but now it’s mum whenever she can, and she’s loving it at the moment!”

Douglas is still at Ross Creek, south of Ballarat, where Keith and Judy were based for many years, but she and Graham have purchased a property a little further out of town.

She is enjoying the best start to her season in many years with eight starters for three wins and a second.

“I work the afternoon shift at Luvaduck (duck processing plant) and Brock gives me a hand with the horses in the morning,” she said.

“We do the best we can and it’s a good start to the season – let’s just hope it continues!”

For complete race results, click here.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink