Sailor Jack looks the goods in home track trial

[Wandering Eyes]

Sailor Jack produced an impressive trial win at Awapuni on Monday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Sailor Jack impressed trainers Shaun and Hazel Fannin with his trial victory at Awapuni on Monday, and they have their fingers crossed their home track will be back in commission for his first major test of the season.

The five-win gelding took out his 1400m heat in the hands of Chris Dell, beating a handy field, which included last-start Group One winner Quintessa. It was the eight-year-old gelding’s fourth trial this time in, with his trainers searching for better footing.

“We were really happy with him,” Hazel Fannin said.

“This prep, we would have liked to have had him to a race by now, but there has been a lot of rain around, so we have had to wait a little longer than we expected, but he is still coming to hand really nicely.

“It was a pretty tidy field today, so we were rapt with how he went.”

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Fannin is looking forward to Sailor Jack resuming in the next fortnight, with the Power Farming Feilding Cup (2100m) at Awapuni’s scheduled meeting on November 1 his first major aim of the spring.

“We will look to kick him off in the (rating) 75 mile next Sunday at Waverley,” she said. “Waverley always plays really well, so that should suit him regardless of the weather.

“All going to plan with the Awapuni track, he’ll hopefully go to the Feilding Cup two weeks after that.”

Awapuni’s newly renovated grass track still needs to be given the green light to return to racing, with Monday’s trials playing an integral part in that process.

The Palmerston North track has been out of commission for two years, having initially been set to return to racing on ANZAC Day earlier this year. However, that meeting was abandoned following a slip in the opening race.

The track subsequently underwent further remedial work, with RACE calling on the expertise of Flemington track manager Liam O’Keefe to assist in that process.

A set of trials took place at the Palmerston North venue in August, and while the club were pleased with the way the track handled those trials, a track inspection a week later confirmed the track needed more time.

Fannin was pleased with how the track handled the trials on Monday and is hoping it is in line for a return to racing next month.

“There is a lot more grass on it,” she said. “We will wait to see what the powers at be decide with the track, but it seemed to hold up well.

“There is still a bit of shiftiness in the track, but there is improvement since the last time it was open for galloping compared to this time coming back to the trials.

“It would be nice to be back at the home track, it is less travel for owners and bringing costs down for them is always a big bonus. It would be great to be back racing here as soon as we can.”

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