Photo: Angelique Bridson
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk
Trainer Jeremy Young is hoping his winning run continues when he heads to Addington Raceway on Sunday for the Grand Prix Meeting.
His Auckland barn were in strong form at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night, scoring a winning double courtesy of Twist Little Girl in the Dunstan Salute Mobile Pace (2200m) and Osko in the Merry Christmas From Dunstan Mobile Pace (2200m).
A daughter of Jewels runner-up Twist N Shout, Twist Little Girl was purchased as a weanling out of Alabar Stud’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Standardbred All Age Sale draft for $8,500.
She had a placing from her previous three starts and Young said the addition of some gear has worked wonders for the promising juvenile who won on Thursday by five lengths.
“We purchased her from the weanling sales and she is bred to go early,” Young said.
“She is a Vincent out of a Bettor’s Delight mare. Her mother had run second in the Jewels. She was a quite compact, nice-looking type so we took a punt on her.
“She can get on one knee a little bit. We had spreaders on her and that seems to have done the job.
“She got confidence and Maurice (McKendry, driver) was very happy with her, he has been quite pleased with her progress and how she hit the line.
“She is paid up for the three-year-old fillies races for next year and that is what we are looking forward to.”
Young is just as excited about the prospects of Osko after his maiden triumph and he was delighted for his new stable client David Simmonds, who operates Westbred Pacing with his sister Kellie in Western Australia.
“He is owned by a guy in Australia called Dave Simmonds. He is a young guy that is right into breeding,” Young said.
“He has bought a stallion of his own called Captain Ahab from America. Dave and his sister are breeding about 20 or 30 in Western Australia.
“He bought Toni Street and he is going to breed from her and he bought a Rock N Roll Heaven from the weanling sales, which I am breaking in now.”
Young said Osko will now likely head for a spell.
“He is quite a big, weak fella and I am probably going to turn him out now. He has got plenty of scope about him and I think he will be quite a nice horse in 12 months,” he said.
While Young was rapt with his Cambridge double, he is now looking forward to racing at Addington Raceway on Sunday where his quality filly Lady Of The Light will bid to add a Group One victory to her name in the IRT New Zealand Oaks (2600m).
She has come close before, finishing runner-up to True Fantasy in the Gr.1 Northern Oaks (2700m) in March, and Young is hoping she can turn the tables on her rival this weekend.
The daughter of Bettor’s Delight was runner-up to the Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen-trained runner once again at Addington Raceway last week, pleasing Young ahead of the Oaks.
“It was a super run last start, I couldn’t be prouder of the horse,” Young said.
“She has pulled up well and has trained on as good, if not better. I am sure she will give a really good account of herself.
“It is hard to beat Mark (Purdon, but at the end of the day, if it gets truly run I give her a really good shot at it this year.
“She is quite a big horse. She has got a motor and when she is 100 percent, I believe she is as good as any of the fillies in New Zealand.
“I think we have got her in a good frame of mind and I am really looking forward to the race.”
