Derek Kerr hopes Jacobite Jye has a “big career” in front of him after scoring an eye-catching win in Thursday’s Ladbrokes Odds Boost Exotics Final (400m) at Dawson Park.
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Kerr, who trains from Forest Reefs near Orange, went into the final in a confident mood and that was justified when Jacobite Jye jumped well and held off hot favourite Evie’s Best ($1.90) to make it eight wins and four placings from 24 starts.
“He’s doing really well and going from strength to strength,” Kerr said.
“We dropped him back a little to the 400 (metres) because he had a couple of weeks to freshen-up and it seems to have worked for him.
“Hopefully now we’ll step him back up to the 500m and head towards the city.
“He’s only two years and has got a lot of racing in front of him and a big career, hopefully.”
The William Maramara-trained Evie’s Best was all the rage heading into the final after blitzing Sunday’s heats but it was Happy Chap Zarr ($8) from box one who began best.
Jacobite Jye ($5.40) stayed behind Happy Chap Zarr right towards the bend for home while Evie’s Best began to loom after jumping out midfield.
But it was Jacobite Jye who got the rails run around the bend and powered home to score by two-and-a-quarter lengths from Evie’s Best in a time of 23.10 seconds.
Total Refusal ($6.90) ran home well for third.
“I was a little bit worried because he got a little knocked around in the catching pen (after the heat) but he bounced up fine and had no sore spots so that was pleasing and I actually was pretty confident today and thought he might just lead and win,” Kerr said.
“He did it a little bit harder but still ran a good race.”
While Kerr was a winner of a final, Canowindra trainer Paul Britt now has one to look forward to after Lucky Thirteen won one of the three Ladbrokes Daily Videos (318m) heats.
Some of Britt’s excitement around Lucky Thirteen was tempered slightly by a string of injuries but the sprinter showed he’s getting back to his best with a strong three-and-three-quarter length win on Thursday.
“He’s a really, really good dog and that’s his first run in about six months after a string of injuries,” Britt said.
“He looked like being a really good dog and he’s come back today and won well so we’re really pleased.
“We were expecting him to go well. All his injuries are fine now so hopefully we can do a bit of racing with him.”
Lucky Thirteen went close to a 318m track record at Dawson Park in a performance trial in the past.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
