Jason Rulz tipped to be open class contender
Woodend pacer Jason Rulz continued his rapid rise to open class completing a hattrick when he sprinted home to win the Nelson Pine Industries Nelson Cup at Richmond Park.
The Greg and Nina Hope-trained gelding started his golden run winning the Reefton Cup on December 30. He recorded his second straight win in the Cup Prelude on the first day of the Nelson Harness Racing Club’s meeting on Friday and then completed the hat-trick in yesterday’s the 3000m Cup
Jason Rulz made it look easy, unleashing a devastating sprint in the last 200 metres to shoot past pacemaking Hurricane Bromac and win by one and half lengths. Jackaroo Bromac ran home strongly for second with Lively Shard a nose back in third.
Jason Rulz has now won nine races and $53,000 in stakes from just 20 starts as he races towards open class. The only question that remains, according to driver Ricky May, is how competitive he will be when he graduates to the top echelon of racing.
‘‘He has a devastating sprint and he can stay so he has a big future,’’ May said after yesterday’s win. ‘‘He can handle any sort of going, too, so there’s no doubt he’s going to be an open class horse, it’s just a matter of how competitive he’ll be when he gets there.’’
Co-trainer Nina Hope was playing down Jason Rulz’s prospects saying it was a big step up from provincial cup races to open class and they’d be taking the horse’s future ‘‘one step at a time’’.
‘‘He keeps on improving and he’s still maturing so he’ll be a better horse next year,’’ Hope said. ‘‘But it’s hard to say how good he’ll be – you better ask Ricky.’’
Jason Rulz is owned by Westport’s Jason Yang and Richard Dellaca and Hope’s husband Greg. Dellaca is also the breeder of the Courage Under Fire 4-year-old.
The Hopes had a successful day after earlier winning with Delightful Blue in the Forsyth Barr/Hunterbond Pace and Nancy Miles in the Christian Cullen Canterbury Mares Speed Series Mobile Pace.
The unpredictable Idle Eyre finally got it right trotting all the way to win the feature trotting race, the Nelson Building Society Handicap over 3000 metres.
The Tim Butt-trained 4-year-old came to Nelson after breaking and ruining its chances in its last four starts. It broke again on the first day of the meeting on Friday but yesterday made amends, trot- ting perfectly to record its second win from 10 starts.
Driver Mark Jones nursed Idle Eyre away from the start before advancing three-wide to take the lead with just under a lap to run. Idle Eyre then repelled challenges, first from favourite Mo Hahn and then Pammy’s Boy, to win by one and quarter lengths and pay $11.30.
Patience paid off for trainer Bruce Hutton and driver Jimmy Curtain when Suzali Queen finally cleared maiden ranks at her 16th race day start.
Curtain left nothing to chance taking Suzali Queen to the lead with a round to go and then held on valiantly to win the Johnny Stewart Memorial Pace. Aces Fella charged home in the straight and looked like it was going to edge past Suzali Queen but had to settle for second with Nelson-trained Donna Belle finishing third.
The Tom Fox and Brian Johnsontrained pacer Donna Belle was the best of the Nelson horses that had another disappointing day with just the one placing. Robert Stuart’s Jass finished seventh in the cup after a useful second on the first day.
Sadly, the only home track runner to really get the crowd excited was a naked spectator who paced erratically behind the water truck to cool off between races. The man, who was obviously suffering from the combined effects of the heat and alcohol, was pulled up at the 200m mark by security officers before retreating into the centre field crowd.