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!?