It's a long way to... Motukarara! But that is where Laura, John and Christine and myself were reunited on Saturday. Laura got off the plane after 27 hours flying and was told Fred's horse JACK HINTON was running in an Amateur Drivers heat at the trials at Motukarara, about 30 minutes from Christchurch, in 3 hours time... driven by leading amateur J McDermott. Galloping 60 meters behind the gate as it accelerated there were some uncomfortable moments for the waiting fans, but John got him back to a pace, caught them by the dispatch and worked his way up to sit outside the leader at the 1000, confidently pushed on and JACK held on resolutely in the straight to win. Congratulations all round and 600 NZ dollars of petrol vouchers to the winner (it's 1.70 a litre here and there are about 2 NZ dollars to the euro); split between the three owners (Fred, John and John's brother Maurice). In the picture (click to enlarge) trainer Peter Cowan and wife Vicky are tending to Jack's head under Laura's supervision, while Christine tends to John's. Fred looks on, wondering why he got into this business I suspect.. but also obviously enjoying it, with wife Pat, given what Jack is doing as their first horse. JACK should run at Addington next Friday night. We'll all be there.
Laura just missed the Cowan's good 4yo trotter Trotupastorm winning well at Addington on Fred's birthday (the 2nd)which we celebrated at where you can guess.
Late afternoon we moved up to Gerolstein with Kurt and have been chilling out (or at least one of us has) and been to the supermarket to replenenish depleted stocks.
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