Gifted driver now starring in training role

It’s something of an understatement to say it’s been a big month for emerging Victorian harness racing trainer Nathan Jack.

Since February this year, the gifted freelance reinsman has shifted his attention to training and it’s paying off handsomely with a super impressive 38 percent win record, backed up by a 33 percent placings count.

But Jack’s past month in particular has been superb.

He recorded the biggest win of his career at Menangle with Eye Believe (Captaintreacherous) in the $400,000 APG Gold Bullion Fillies Final on April 29, then last weekend at Melton (May 20)  his name was again in the features list beside Violet Stanford (Volstead) in the Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic for 2yo trotting fillies.

“I’m doing about 20 between myself, dad, Leigh Sutton and Amanda Grieve. I love it.  It’s long days and it’s hard work, but I am really enjoying it,” Jack said.

“Training is always something I have wanted to focus on, and the time seemed about right to make the change to mainly concentrate on training and take a bit of pressure off dad (Russell).”

Jack has always assisted his father’s training operation, but his career has mainly concentrated on freelance driving.  The 37-year-old began as a teenager and has driven 2176 winners for $18m in stakes, with his resume including 30 Group Ones, 16 Group Twos and 32 Group Threes, along with 24 successes in listed features.

In his busiest seasons as a freelancer, Jack has driven more than 1000 starters, and recorded over 100 winners in every full season in which he’s driven since 2007.  It was a rewarding career but involved covering thousands of kilometres each week to meetings across Victoria and the NSW Riverina and regularly to feature races at Menangle and Brisbane’s Albion Park.

“I have to admit that I’m not missing the long trips sometimes for one or two drives!” Jack said.

“I’m still driving some of ours and haven’t given up driving completely (his season record stands at 252 starters for 48 winners) but I am focussing on the training and I’m trying not to make a habit of going all over the place.  Someone who’s been great to me, I’ll go anywhere for them and I’m lucky we have some good owners who stood by us, and I’ll always stand by them.”

Jack last prepared a small team in the 2017-18 season, and certainly made his mark at that time.

His 34 wins included a Group Two in the Southern Cross Colts and Geldings with Animal (Art Major) and Group Three features with Think About Me (Christian Cullen) in the 3YO Breeders Crown Silver and War Dan (Bettors Delight) in the 3yo Caduceus Cup.

This season, only weeks into his training return, Jack tasted Group One success with Chart Topper (Captaintreacherous), in one of the country’s prestige features for juveniles, the $150,000 Bathurst Gold Crown in March.

Jack makes no secret his plan is to heavily target juvenile features with his team.

“I want to aim at the better races and the better two-year-old races in particular. The Nutrien series is not that far away, and they will be the next big target,” he said.

“There are some nice two-year-olds here, Eye Believe, of course, and Chart Topper.  Another one that hasn’t raced called Rocknroll Raider and a Bettors Delight colt that hasn’t qualified yet, but I really like him.”

Now in the three-year-old ranks last season’s Breeders Crown star School Captain (Captaintreacherous) is coming up well, and NSW Oaks Victorian Gold Bullion and Bathurst Gold Tiara winner, Just Hope (Bettors Delight) will be aimed at the upcoming mares’ features.

“I’m loving doing the work with the young horses, especially,” he said.

“It’s so much more satisfying when you have one from the yearling sale and you go the whole journey to get the result, rather than just finding a Kiwi and taking it straight to the races. It’s hectic but at the same time, it’s very rewarding.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink