28 September 2021 | Ashleigh Paikos
Jocelyn Young out-did herself on Friday night, with the 28-year-old reinswoman notching up four winners on the card at Bunbury from her full book of drives. Young has previously driven a quartet on the card, with Friday nights efforts bringing up her second milestone night in racing.
Two of the four winners she piloted were for Coolup-based trainer Michael Brennan, who prepared the short-priced favourites, Tiger Royal NZ and Cowboys N Bandits NZ to victory.
“Mouse (Michael Brennan) called me up when the fields came out and asked if I’d like to drive his team at Bunbury, he was very confident in them,”
“I was more than happy to be able to point and steer a couple of $1.20 shots around, that’s the stuff that gives you confidence,”
“Going into the night I was excited to see what came of it. I drove five horses I’d never had anything to do with before, getting four winners and a third and my two let me down.” She joked.
Tiger Royal NZ kicked off the celebrations in the first, with the $1.40 favourite gaining the lead a few hundred metres after release point, going on to win by 13m in a mile rate of 1:58:0 over the 2100m and giving his owners Walmsley Developments Pty Ltd their second career win in just nine starts. The three-year-old had been knocking on the door his last start and after just four days between runs, got the win for Michael Brennan and Jocelyn Young.
Cowboys N Bandits NZ has been racing in fine form, with the three-year-old coming off a last start second to return to the winners’ circle, recording his fifth victory in WA in just six starts. Starting from barrier four in race four, the $1.12 favourite worked his way to the lead, to lead all the way for the win in 2:02:1 over the 2100m trip, giving prominent owner Albert Walmsley an owning double on the card.
It was a night for the girls, with Deni Roberts securing a driving double on the card, the first win coming up in race two when she teamed up with her mum, Sonia Zucchiatti to steer home American Bullitt in 2:01:1 over the 2100m trip. In a cracker of a finish, with just a neck between first and second, and a similar margin between second and third, the three-year-old came from the rear of the field to claim the win at $13 odds.
Deni Roberts, Sonia Zucchiatti and Connections after their win with American Bullitt. Photo Credit- Photography by Jodie Hallows
Young’s second win for the night came up in the third when she piloted the Michael Paris trained Lincoln Joel to victory after settling one out and two back throughout over the 2100m journey. Beginning from barrier 11, the six-year-old went on to win by 4.9m at $8 odds, claiming his first win this season in 2:02:0, breaking his last three start bridesmaid status and recording his second career win at just his seventh start in a race.
The domination of the female drivers continued in to race five, with Deni Roberts bringing up the second leg of her winning double on board the Greg and Skye Bond trained Miss Mucho NZ. At just her first start in the state since making the move from New Zealand recently, the last start winner saluted in June at Ascot Park for her former stable and continued her great form for Team Bond, managing to sit in the breeze throughout and still come out on top over the 2100m journey in 1:59:6.
Wayne Justins trained the quinella in race six, with his runner Desiderio coming out on top by a 15m margin over stablemate Fireball Friday in a mile rate of 2:00:8. Driven by his son Jack, the four-year-old brought up his first win since late December 2020 and first win since making his debut for the stable in September this year. After settling toward the rear over the 2100m pace, Justins made his move three-wide with 700m to go, spacing the field on the bend to win comfortably at generous odds.
It was just a six-horse field in the last on the card, with the two-year-old fillies rounding out the meeting, which saw Free Wheeling claim her maiden win at her second start for trainer and part owner Craig Abercromby, giving Jocelyn Young the final instalment of her winning quadrella. In a mile rate of 2:02:0 over the 2100m, the locally bred filly led all the way to win by 5.3m, giving favourite punters plenty to cheer about at $3.20 odds.
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