By Mac Henry
Brett Gray snuck out to a five win lead over Nathan Williamson in the race for the Southland trainers premiership, with the win of Machjagger at Ascot Park on Saturday.
Williamson has gone without a win since the success of Jewels favourite Dark Horse at Winton a fortnight ago while Gray won twice that day and has added a couple since. He has moved to 22 wins for the season, just one less than his tally at the end of May last year while on 17, Williamson is nine behind his and they’ve had a similar number of starters.
While Gray is pleased with the way he is travelling and intends to race at Forbury Park during the winter, maintaining his advantage over Williamson is not a biggie.
“It would be nice to win but I’ll just take it as it comes, I’m not ambitious like that,” he said.
Gray said the most horses he has had racing at any time has been 18, the current number is 14, and it is likely to fluctuate around that for the balance of the season. With four wins, Jimmy Mack has been his biggest contributor but is among the recent departures.
“The High Roller has just been sold, Jimmy Mack is going to Ross Olivieri in West Australia and G I Joe to Kerryn Manning in Melbourne,” he advised.
Jimmy Mack, and Fight For Glory’s half brother G I Joe, are among a number Gray has trained through the season for Butterworth Racing. G I Joe didn’t win for Gray, starting just three times for a two thirds and a fourth, but along with Jimmy Mack’s four wins, Gray’s win with President Roydon at Cromwell has given him five for the Butterworths so far this term.
Now with Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, President Roydon is a chance in the three year old Ruby at the Jewels next weekend. So too is Mr Mojito and Manning, a winner at Winton in April last year for Gray who is currently down to two Butterworth horses in the team.
Gray trained The High Roller for the Ludemann family of Tapanui and one of his three wins this season was on Wario Mile Day in 1:55.5. Last month, The High Achiever was another winner for the Ludemanns. Of his 12 individual winners, Machjagger, Jimmy Mack, The High Roller, Mighty Flying Deal, Young Conqueror and El Capitan have all been multiple contributors.
Notably, Williamson was the driver in four of Grays wins. The job is usually given to Brent Barclay, who has won 14 times this season for Gray, including aboard Machjagger at Waikouaiti in February. But not on Saturday. Barclay had won last week on the Peter Hunter-trained Bold Ruler and stayed aboard so Tim Williams took the opportunity and made the most of it.
In front soon after the start, the pair stayed there and after reeling off a last half in 57.4, scored by two and three quarter lengths.
“He’s had some feet issues and filling in his back legs so he’s been down at the beach the past few weeks, I send a few there from time to time,” Gray said, “he’s a real stayer and best in front, the good draw helped him today.”
From the first crop of the Christian Cullen sire Justa Tiger, Machjagger was a winner on debut in November 2014 and was Justa Tiger’s only New Zealand winner from then until the successes of Captain Mannering and Admiral’s Flight in the past couple of months.
The five year old is raced by Steve and Claire Sloan and their son Brad.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
