Hayley wins on debut

The long line of ‘Jaccka’ winners continued today for Charlie and Alisa Smaill when Hayley Jaccka (Always B Miki) won at the Ascot Park Harness Racing meeting in Invercargill.

Brent Barclay who was driving her for the first time took her straight to the lead and she went down to the line easily, beating Artmore (Art Major) by a length and a half and running the 1700 metre mobile in a creditable 2-07.1 (mile rate of 2-00.3).

“I thought the time was good on a windy day. She’s not normally good in front because she’s quite lazy but she is getting better,” trainer Brett Gray said.

Hayley Jaccka has been well schooled prior to today’s debut, since February she’s been to four workouts and a qualifying trial. Those five runs were good enough for punters to make her a $1.60 favourite.

“She’s been pretty tickity boo really. We thought she’d go good in that field with the way she’d been trialing but there’s no such thing as a sure thing. I’ve had those short priced favourites beat before.”

Dam Erin Jaccka (Mach Three) won four races – two for Murray Brown and two for Gray and Hayley Jaccka is her first foal.

The win by the three year old filly highlights the great run Gray has had with the stock of Always B Miki.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink