Now that’s a great call – the Jewels result no one saw coming

New, exciting, and a step into the unknown, the Harness Jewels concept, which had been met with strong industry approval, was all bright and new when it came to the inaugural edition of 2007.

But what was the racing going to throw up?

The Harness Jewels was, in actual fact, a season long race, rankings being gathered through earnings throughout the season to ensure participation in the rich finals at the onset of winter.

The last few weeks before the fields were finalised were a story in themselves, horses being placed to pick up vital ‘Jewels’ earnings to ensure they’d met the mark and take their place among those searching for the Listed glory of a Jewels victory.

And the conditions of the finals racing? A frantic mile, a celebration of speed and horsepower on some of the fastest tracks in New Zealand.

Logically, most would have assumed, favourite types, those that had accumulated the most earnings through the year and established themselves as the cream of their respective age groups, would be those that dominated proceedings come Jewels Day.

With that in mind notable stables, some of which produced numerous runners across most of the Jewels races, would surely have a field day when it came to picking up the titles?

Well no one told that to one of the rank outsiders of the field in the very first Jewels race.

GTH Aveross, a runner who had failed to place in a race since early January some 6 months before the Jewels date, was sent out at huge odds, a 4^th at her previous start at Timaru behind Bromac Maravu and race rival Anna Livia unable to sway punters that the daughter of Badlands Hanover had anything but the slimmest of chances, indeed the Faulks and Creighton trained runner was despised in a field that included the likes of the race favourite Bachelorette, trained by David Kaa, Cruzee Lass, who’d go onto win some 9 races, and the consistent Luckisaladytonight.

But racing can be a funny thing, and just how funny and unpredictable it can be was about to play out.

The history books now tell an astonishing start to the Harness Jewels story, an 80/1 shock to the system that very few saw coming – in the mad rush to the winning post, in among a sea of hooves and whips and sulkies, GTH Aveross pulled off one of the great upsets of feature racing history.

The Jewels concept had started with a mighty bang.

Tote recap 

GTH Aveross $$81.70. $20.10

Luckisaladytonight $2.70

Lucy Thundercloud $33

Quinella $568.60

Trifecta $53’502.90

Mile Rate 1.54 / Last 800m 58 / Last 400m 27.6

by Harnesslink Media