HOT TO TROT
OWNER’S INTER DOMINION BID
TORNADO Valley is the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship favourite owner Norman Jenkin passed over before a twist of fate gave him the chance to win the prestigious race for a second time.
The Main Beach resident won the race in 2006 with Flashing Red and is in the box seat to win it again tonight with Tornado Valley at Melton in Victoria.
“Flashing Red was a champion and won the New Zealand Cup twice. Normally you get one champion in your life but this could be another one,” Jenkin said.
The 58-year-old commercial property developer bought the seven-year-old gelding at the start of the year for $54,000 but revealed how close he came to missing out on the elite trotter.
“He was offered to me but another trainer from New Zealand had the option to buy the horse first,” Jenkin said.
“The option was for one week, then it became two and then three. I said to the owner and agent to forget about it but the other fellow didn’t go ahead with it. Maybe he couldn’t get an owner to buy it so I had the opportunity to buy it myself.”
Tornado Valley has gone on to win 17 of his 22 starts in Australia for Jenkin, including three heats of the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship leading into the final.
His Australian success has earnt $222,240 in prizemoney.
Tornado Valley, the $1.80 favourite with Ladbrokes, will start from gate 6 tonight with stablemate Kingdom Come ($151) set to come from 10.
Trained by Andy Gath in Victoria, Tornado Valley has bounced back from a gruelling schedule of racing three heats in the space of a week and is looking sharp.
“He has a witch’s hat (at his stable) and he throws it all over the place and kicks it around. He is fighting fit,” Jenkin said.
Tornado Valley’s greatest challenge will come from New Zealand star Speeding Spur ($3.50) who won two of his three heats.
Jenkin has owned hundreds of trotters and has 30 to his name now. He is also a part-owner, along with harness racing great Vic Frost, of unbeaten Gold Coast thoroughbred Ditmas who has won his three starts.
“There is an element of luck but it comes down to work too,” Jenkin said.
“I do a lot of study and so does my trainer (Gath) on horses in New Zealand. We don’t buy the best, we buy the ones a little further down and improve them.”
The finals will be shown live on 7Two from 8-9.30pm