18 December 2017 | Graham Fischer
Harness racing trainer Ray Goble was delighted to win a second Fred Jones Trotters Cup (2645m) with his outstanding trotter Rejuvenation at Globe Derby Park.
Goble, who trains at Reeves Plains, was a longtime friend of the late Fred Jones who was a passionate harness racing supporter and a lover of the squaregaiter.
In a quirk of programming, it was the second Fred Jones Trotters Cup in 2017, the first being in February, and Rejuvenation has won them both.
Courtesy of an outstanding drive by Ryan Hryhorec on Saturday, Rejuvenation ($11.50) sprinted sharply up the home straight to score by 4-1/2 metres from Rocknroll Baby ($2.10 fav) with its stablemate Al Bundy ($3.50), two metres away third.
Rejuvenation came off a 40-metre handicap in the field of seven but began brilliantly and Hryhorec had the 10-year-old second on settling down behind the leader Truscott Hall.
With such a cozy run, the veteran was always going to take beating and so it proved.
“Fred Jones was a wonderful man for the sport,” Goble said.
“He was a key person in ensuring the squaregaiter had a place in South Australia.
“Back in the 1980s, Mon Max was proving virtually unbeatable in mobile events and running out of opposition so Fred, who was on the control board at the time, made sure the country clubs ran standing start events to give more participants a chance and so trotters races survived.
“It is fitting that a trotters cup has been programmed in his honour.”
Goble said Jones also owned horses and raced a multiple winner with him called Another Report.
Jones’ nephews Brad and Matt were on course to present the Cup and it was also revealed that another of Jones’ friends, media star Bruce McAvaney, each year, pays for a horse rug to be presented to the winning connections.
For Hryhorec, it was his 25th winning drive on Rejuvenation, and according to Goble, perhaps his best.
“The horse has never begun as quick and for Ryan to have him in behind the leader on settling down was simply amazing. When that happened, I started to believe a win was possible.”
Goble said the gelding, owned by his wife Angela, had been a wonderful trotter.
“Tonight was his 34th win and takes his stakes past $160,000.
“Handicaps have made it tough in recent months, but he rarely fails to bring home a cheque, even if he doesn’t win.”
Included in his wins are the 2015 South Australian Trotters Cup and the 2015 Hambeltonian.
Goble said Rejuvenation would go on the Cups trail in South Australia over the next few months with one major goal being the Group 2 $30,000 SA Trotters Cup (2645m) at Globe Derby Park on Saturday, January 13.
While all honours were with the winner, the runs of the placegetters, both trained at Two Wells by Greg Norman were enormous and full of merit.
Runner-up Rocknroll Baby, which only switched from pacing to trotting about 12 months ago, reverted to old habits at the start pacing away which forced driver Jock Dunlop to make her break and when she got back into a trot was some 50 metres behind the field.
Her effort to finish second was outstanding.
Third placed Al Bundy came off a 70-metre handicap and was forced to race wide over the last lap but kept coming and did a good job.
Only five days earlier he had run a track record at Globe Derby Park so that may have taken the edge off him over the final stages, but he still ran well.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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