THE PATIENCE OF PETER JONES..
"TROT TACTICS"...28/02/2009...
Persistency pays dividends in most things,and trotting is no exception.Take Lockyer Waters based trainer driver,Peter Jones,who left Brisbane 24 years ago for a two week tilt at the Rockhampton Pacing Cup with Woodlawn Affair and stayed 22 years,due he says,to the lovely people who inhabit Australiaia's Beef Capitol.In later years in Rocky,Peter had a steady supply of handy horses thanks to John McMullen and George Michael,which resulted in two Premierships.Probably the most consistent member of "Team Jones" was the $500 purchase,General Star,which was runner-up in "Horse Of The Year" ranking for an incredible 6 years in succession,clocking up 17 wins in the process.Time passes,circumstances change,and two years ago Peter,wife Jodie and daughter Lauren moved south to Lockyer Waters with a team of 10 racehorses.It has been a bit of a bumpy ride with Equine Influenza,and having to adjust to a much changed racing scene to that which existed in the mid 80's,with the only bright spot being a sentimental trip back north to win a a race with Melton Norwegian at Rocky's final race meeting.
There seems to be a shift in the family fortunes with Melton Nowegian getting home at Gold Coast on February 12 and Melton Bon Honey and Melton Rissy running second and third a week later at the same venue.The Peter Jones view of the immediate future is rapidly brightening with 2 and 3 year olds by Ultimate Falcon and Bonamax prominent in a stable of 8 pacers.It wont be long before the Blue with White Stars and Red Sleeves are regulars in the winners circle,as they should be!!
The last game of snakes and ladders on the rankings board of ID-09 was played at Harness Racing Queensland last Wednesday,and the final split of 36 probables and 24 possibles was announced with acceptances taken yesterday.We will look at the final 37 (one common emergency) next week.Queenslanders,and several others with a distinct Qld flavour and their positions on the ladder,are as follows.Blacks A Fake (1)..Mr Feelgood (2)..I Am Sam (8)..Fleur De Lil (14)..Slipnslide (18)..Tip Your Hat (24)..Our Brahman Boy (27)..Franco Liberty (31)..Lively Highlander (32)..Albert Street (33)..Riverboat Star (34)..Destreos (35)..Perfect Pegasus (41)..Arkamigo (45)..Top Shelf Hanover (48)..South Park Hanover (51)..Eden Burst (53)..Spirit Of A Shark (55)..Honkytonk Hanover (56)..Fancy Cardshark (59)..