Tim O'Connor
Im Ready Jet claimed the inaugural Kerryn Manning Trotting Mares Triple Crown with a Group 1-winning performance at Melton on Saturday night.
The Anton Golino-trained mare showed her class to take out the TAB Sumthingaboutmaori Trotters Free For All (2760m) by 5 metres over Aldebaran Crescent (David Aiken/James Herbertson), with the result giving the five-year-old a one-point victory over the runner-up in the series.
Aldebaran Crescent had topped the leaderboard heading into the third and final leg of the Triple Crown, but was overtaken by Im Ready Jet, who pocketed a $10,000 bonus for connections.
“She’s something else,” driver Jason Lee said after the win.
“She still did that in second gear up the straight, she sort of needed something to race her.
“I was pretty confident a long way out, just with how well she was travelling and Kate (Gath) had done a little bit of work (with Vacation Hill). She wasn’t walking in front, she was bowling at a good enough click. We ran a bit of time.”
Vacation Hill (Andy Gath/Kate Gath) charged to the front in the early stages of the race before the field moved into single file. Im Ready Jet eventually moved up outside the leader at the bell and proved too tough for her rivals, hitting the front before the straight and then comfortably holding Aldebaran Crescent in the run to the line. Silver Power, who was on Australian debut for trainer-driver Jack MacKinnon, flashed home for third, just a whisker behind the runner-up.
Im Ready Jet’s win came in a mile rate of 1:59.1min, which was just 0.4 seconds outside the track record. The Sumthingaboutmaori success is her fifth at Group 1 level and takes her earnings over $400,000.
In other races, Lisa Miles was quick to reflect on the late great Gavin Lang after landing a blowout victory at Melton on Saturday night.
Lang prepared Classy Spirit through the early part of her career, and before his passing in 2020 had suggested Miles continue training the squaregaiting mare.
The Darraweit Guim horsewoman claimed her third win with the daughter of Eilean Donon at Victorian headquarters on Saturday night, with the narrow success in the Aldebaran Park Trot coming at $71 on the fixed odds.
“It is an emotional win,” Miles told TrotsVision.
“I think Gavin is still very much in the forefront of a lot of our minds. He was such a mentor to a lot of us – be it open or being a silent mentor – so for him to personally suggest or recommend that this horse come to me, it’s really honouring that I’ve been able to train this horse.
“And the owners are absolutely lovely, fantastic and I hope that Megan (Gavin’s wife) is watching and gets to have a bit of that glory too.”
Miles worked for Lang and his father Graeme as a youngster and often drove their horses at the races.
“I had the opportunity to get this horse from Gavin before his passing and had many a conversation. He just put a lot into perspective, not only about the horses but about life in general.”
