GREAT WESTERN trained pacer, Westernview Jack has finally broken his maiden status, scoring victory in the Moore Bulk Haulage Pace at Horsham.
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The seven year old gelding is trained by Phil Giles and needed just two starts to claim victory after returning from a bad infection.
Westernview Jack’s win broke a dry spell for Giles, who hadn’t trained a winner for more than 10 years prior to the race.
Giles believed the horse was back to his best form following the nasty lung infection that was evident at his first start.
“He just wasn’t himself in Ararat,” Giles said.
“Not only did he run poorly, but he was a completely different horse.
“However, he was fit and always a chance at Horsham.”
With fellow Great Western harness racing enthusiast Kerryn Manning in the sulky, Westernview Jack did it the hard way, sitting three wide without cover for most of the race before dashing clear to win by five metres.
Westernview Jack went into the race at long odds paying $25.50 for the win.
Despite these odds, Giles and his wife Tammy, who owns the horse, were quietly confident.
“It was exciting for us to have a winner and even better that Kerryn drove the horse,” Giles said.
“She didn’t remember this, but she drove my last winner more than 10 years ago.”
Westernview Jack had previously had the one start at Ararat where he ran a poor race, but was hampered by the infection.
Not only did he not run well at Horsham, but Giles said he had been acting like a completely different horse.
Following the treatment for his infection, he trialled well at Stawell, proving he was ready to take the next step.
Westernview Jack won by 50 metres in the trial at Stawell and that was when Giles thought he might be something special.
“We never expected him to be much and we still don’t have any huge plans for him,” Giles said.
“But you have to take one race at a time and we need to soak the win in, because it doesn’t happen often for us.”
He currently has just the one horse in work and hopes it is not too long between now and his next winner.
Giles backed the horse up sending him to Charlton yesterday after he pulled up well from his win just over a week ago.
Results were unavailable when the Stawell Times News went to press.
