No person forgets their first success within the sport of harness racing, whether or not it’s a profitable drive, your first win as an proprietor or possibly simply seeing a horse you bred getting the job finished.
For Norm Leacock-Jones, yesterday afternoon’s Banks Peninsula assembly will stay lengthy within the reminiscence banks because the day he skilled his first winner.
Norm Leacock-Jones
Previous to yesterday, the Greendale horseman had 25 starters on the races going again to 2020 when he first took his license with Nor’West Franco’s second inserting, overwhelmed three-quarters of a size his earlier greatest outcome amongst three additional third place dividends.
That each one modified with the gritty win of his evenly tried four-year-old mare, Varenna Franco (Vincent), who overcame barrier 9, some late fancy footwork, and a quick ending favorite to salute the choose at odds of $20 to at least one.
Standing on the stabling space of the Motukarara observe isn’t the perfect viewing heading in the right direction, and Leacock-Jones admits to having simply been comfortable to see his enigmatic mare enter the lengthy straight a stay probability.
“It was fairly onerous to gauge the place the others had been, so we had been simply listening to the race caller,” mentioned Leacock-Jones.
“When she ran previous us, we had been like, ‘Holy s*%$, she simply obtained second!’ We had been leaping round, hugging one another—simply thrilled with that. However then, every little thing went quiet. The announcer wasn’t saying something. After which, over the audio system, we heard that she had really received. It was like, ‘What the hell?’ We couldn’t consider it. First, we had been comfortable she obtained second, after which realising she received was simply unreal,” he mentioned.
VARENNA FRANCO REPLAY
Whereas Leacock-Jones could have been simply as stunned as among the punters by the win of Verenna Franco, he admits to having had a little bit of time for the mare since buying her from Spreydon Lodge on a lease deal.
“I at all times thought she had capacity, however she’s a bit spooky—at all times wanting round at issues. Mentally, she’s not fairly there but. She’s a nice-sized horse, and he or she’s quick, however she nonetheless must get her head within the sport. That mentioned, she’s enhancing, and we’ve been adjusting her gear to assist her alongside. If she will be able to go across the observe with out swerving, spooking at one thing, or misstepping, that’d be good.
“I feel the extra she races, the higher she’ll get. We’re taking her right down to Ashburton on Saturday to offer her a shot. She’s had just a few runs there earlier than, so hopefully, she’ll go a bit higher this time,” he mentioned.
Varenna Franco and John Morrison outlast the problem of the favorite to win by a nostril
Leacock-Jones journey to the winners circle is an attention-grabbing one given he grew up round horses together with his father, Donald Jones, knocking round with a horse or two and coaching 10 winners in his personal proper. And whereas the curiosity could have began together with his father, it wasn’t precisely a case of affection at first sight.
“My previous man, Don Jones, was a coach. He did it as a result of he cherished horses. Me and Dad didn’t at all times get alongside. To be sincere, every little thing he did, I mainly hated. However that’s household, you already know,” he laughed.
“When he obtained sick, I wasn’t actually doing a lot, so I made a decision to offer him a hand. It was him, Greg Manson, my sister Pam Turner, and me. We had been working with there for a bit, after which Greg talked about {that a} coach wanted some assist, which led to me taking a job with Jamie Keast.
“I labored with Jamie for about six months earlier than Darren Keast got here residence from Australia and began working there too. With him again, the work dried up for me, so I moved on to work with Nigel McGrath. That was a terrific expertise as effectively, however once more, work dried up. So, I went again to working with Dad. Then, when he handed away, I took over as a result of there have been horses right here that wanted taking care of. That’s actually how it began—I simply started working just a few horses by myself.
“Proper now, I’ve obtained 5 horses—4 three-year-olds and one four-year-old that simply raced the opposite day. We attempt to get free leases with the choice to buy, and we’ve had a variety of assist from Spreydon Lodge, which has been nice,” he mentioned.
Leacock-Jones won’t be a family identify within the trade, but it surely’s at all times nice to see new names coming via and getting rewarded with outcomes such because the win yesterday with Varenna Franco.
How did he rejoice the particular milestone?
“We went out for dinner that evening to rejoice—it was a fairly particular second.”
For full Banks Peninsula outcomes, click on right here.
by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink
