by Wayne Currall
Brilliant colt Jack Mac is spot on for Friday night’s $100,000 Princi Smallgoods 2YO Pearl Classic (2130m) at Gloucester Park. The Group 1 feature is restricted to the 12 youngsters who qualified in the four heats run at headquarters on May 30.
On that night favourite backers received an almighty scare when long odds-on favourite Jack Mac broke from his inside gate just as the starter sent the field on its way. Champion reinsman Chris Lewis didn’t panic and managed to settle the son of Mach Three back into a pace and he quickly circled the field to take up the running. Jack Mac showed his class by sprinting the last 400m in a slick 27.5 – the quickest last section from the four heats – to easily account for Pocket More For Less and Liam Neil.
Busselton trainer Barry Howlett, who bought Jack Mac in New Zealand, has since sent the horse to two trials and he is now back in the draw after his uncharacteristic mistake. “Chris said the horse seemed to shy at something in his heat,” Howlett said. “It was just as the starter let them go and I don’t know if it was something inside the track but when he looked back up the mobile maybe gave him a fright but he’s all good now and I’m very happy where he’s at for Friday night’s race.”
Jack Mac has drawn gate five for the Pearl and Lewis has a few options with the horse. He has good gate speed from the machine and can be sent forward at the start or he can sit back and come with a quick turn of foot when asked. “I was in New Zealand for the Jewels series over the weekend so I didn’t see Jack Mac trial at Pinjarra last Sunday,” Howlett said. “But I caught up with Chris on Monday and he told me the horse went super. He ran his last quarter in 28.4 and Chris said he did it well. He’s a pretty good horse and he’s improved since he arrived here. I think he’ll be hard to beat in the Pearl.” Howlett will keep Jack Mac in work after Friday night’s Pearl, providing he comes through as expected. “We’ll aim for the Slipper with him in early July,” he said. “Then we’ll tip him out for a spell after that.”
Howlett, who started training pacers as a hobby, won his first Group 1 race in 1994 when Lights Above won the 2YO Fillies Final. He had to wait a further 20 years before he tasted success at the top level again when Three Blind Mice, a 20/1 outsider, led all the way for driver Matthew White and Howlett to win the $200,000 WA Derby in 2014.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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