SKY Channel Trotters Champs

22 February 2003
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22 February, 2003

22 February, 2003

 

CLYDE trainer Jayne Davies has won some of the biggest jewels in harness racing?s crown, but she admitted to being at a bit of a loss for words after All Action Son triumphed in a thrilling $100,000 SKY Channel Australasian Trotters? Championship Final at Moonee Valley tonight (Saturday).

 

All Action Son had won a heat of the series the previous week, but, even in her most optimistic mood, Davies was not confidently predicting a repeat beforehand.

 

But a gem of a drive from top horseman Chris Alford paved the way to a win, which was made all-the-more special for Davies for the fact that she also owns All Action Son outright herself.

 

All Action Son began well from the inside draw on the front draw and led through the opening stanza, but Alford elected to restrain for a train when the other heat winner, Our First Jewel (David Aiken), pressed forward with two laps to run.

 

?Before the race the plan was to try and sit on one of the better ones,? Alford said after.

 

?I was lucky enough the pace was fair during the running, and I was able to follow David through and angle for a run on the turn.?

 

Mister Roberts, who was driven by South Australian Ross Sugars, had shot to a clear lead at that stage and looked home for the money.

 

But a bevy of challengers ? including All Action Son ? put him under siege close to home.

 

All Action Son got in the deciding stride just short of the finish and won by a head from Mister Roberts, with Our First Jewel a game third a neck back.

 

Kimbo (Russell Thomson) was just half a head back, fourth, with the warm favourite, top Kiwi mare Martina H (Derek Balle) right alongside in fifth spot.

 

?I can?t believe this has happened,? Davies said after the race.

 

?It was a wonderful drive from Chris? he never panicked.

 

?The bigger the race, the better he seems to drive.?

 

Davies paid $NZ14,000 for All Action Son at the 1999 Pyne Gould Guiness Premier yearling Sale in Christchurch.

 

A son of the former outstanding ?American-bred? New Zealand trotter Sundon, All Action Son is from the American mare All Action Gal, a daughter of Speed In Action and Roydon Gal, the dam of none other than Sundon?s sire, the former world record holder Arndon (TT 1:54).

 

All Action Gal is also the dam of the former top New Zealand trotting mare Sunny Action (2:02.5), whose many wins included the defeated the champion Lyell Creek in the 2001 New Zealand Trotting Free-for-all at Addington.

 

Davies left All Action Son? with leading New Zealand trainer Mark Purdon after she bought him, and transported him across the Tasman when he was a three-year-old.

 

?At the sale I saw him out of the corner of my eye,? Davies said.

 

?He was skinny, but had a long barrel and a lot of scope for development.

 

?I thought if I could steal him he?d do me, and I liked his pedigree.

 

?I left him with Mark for a time, and he did a wonderful job with him.

 

?He was getting towards the end of his campaign when he came over as a three-year-old, and he went a bit sore, so I decided to give him a good 12 months off after that,? Davies said.

 

?That?s turned out to be a real blessing in disguise for him.

 

?I?m just spewing now that I didn?t enter him for the Inter Dominion at Addington next month!?

 

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