By PAUL COURTS
AT THE time of his death multiple award winning author Bob Cain was writing another book which was to be titled ‘A man and his horse’.
The crux of Cain’s work was the unbreakable bond between human and equine.
While the various chapters were focusing on champions such as Gramel and Frank ‘Silky’ Jones, Halwes and Aub Wesley, Maori’s Idol and Bryan Healy, Monara and Don Dove to name a few, there are so many tales of an infrangible connection between trainer and horse.
One such kinship came to the fore at Wagga last Friday when Nunya broke her maiden status.
While a mare capturing her first race is a common occurrence, Nunya made her inaugural trip to the winners’ circle at her 87th start!
Trainer Len Clement’s reaction to the victory highlighted the bond he has with the daughter of Village Jolt!
“She finally got the money,” Clement declared. “I’m normally pretty quiet but I was yelling all the way up the straight.
“To watch her do what I always knew she could was terrific.
“It may as well have been a Group One I was that excited.”
Driven by Ellen Bartley, Nunya began quickly to lead from barrier four as Comin In Hot worked to the ‘death seat’.
“I was happy to see her lead and was excited when she opened a gap on the home turn, but she has been run down in the straight a few times,” Clement said.
Clement had no reason for concern on this occasion as Nunya sprinted to a strong four-and-a-half metre win from Ace In Our Pocket, with Winsome Moolah a metre-and-a-half away third in 1:59 over 1740 metres.
“Watching her stride clear was exciting and even more so when I could hear Ellen yelling at the horse,” Clement said.
“Ellen has been so helpful with her and deserves a lot of credit, not just for her drive, but the work away from the races.
“Given how much Ellen has helped I’m glad she was the one to drive Nunya to her first win.”
With no major plans in mind for the eight-year-old Clement will find the next suitable race in hope Nunya will take less than another 87 starts to register her second win.
“We’ll just go around again next Saturday,” Clements said. “She can be a handful of a mare, but we love her and will keep going around like we do.”
