SEARS' HOME TRACK DOUBLE

By Graham Potter | Saturday, August 13, 2022

The six-year-old, Tony and Maddysen trained gelding Jetski might have gone into a BM70 Handicap over 1200m at Toowoomba on August 13 as a thirty-one race veteran, but he certainly hasn’t lost his taste for action, as evidenced by the way he tackled a pressurised finish with almost youthful enthusiasm.

The son of Lonhro started out his career with James Cummings and the Godolphin team for whom he won three times in fourteen starts.

He then won again first-time out after transferring to Team Sears … that was back on November 27, 2020, and, although he kept paying his way with a series of placed finishes since that win (two seconds, five thirds and four fourth place results to be exact) his fifth career win was proving to be very elusive … that is until he said ‘enough is enough’ and refused to be beaten in this, his latest Toowoomba assignment.

Bubba Tilley, who was in the Jetski saddle for the first time, took Jetski (a $2.60 favourite) all the way back to last after jumping from a wide draw, settling seven to eight lengths off the lead, but racing at a comfortable gallop.

Tilley waited until the middle of the sweep to the home turn where he suddenly got extremely busy in the saddle. Jetski got the message and his response to his rider’s urgings was almost immediate and he quickly made up ground, racing four wide on the turn.

On straightening, Jetski was up to fourth, now with some three lengths to make up and the question being asked was … could he sustain such a long run and could he do it with enough verve to be able to reel in those runners in front of him?

Jetski certainly proved to be up for the fight, quickly moving into third place before joining issue with the long-time leader Exceed Rock ($5,50) and Penasquito ($6), who, like Jetski, was putting in a determined late challenge.

Over the last 75m it became a ‘no holds barred’ three-way battle for the honours, with all three going through the line locked together, seemingly almost inseparable to the naked eye.

The photo-finish camera did find a winning margin in favour of Jetski though, taking the monkey off his back and pushing his number of wins up to five!
It was a tough effort deserving of a winning result!
________________________________________________________________________

And there was more success to come for the Sears stable at Toowoomba on the night of August 13 as Heza Pleaza won the seventh race on the card to not only give Tony and Maddysen Sears a double at the meeting, but also a treble on the day with Dynamic Duo having won earlier in the afternoon at Doomben.

Heza Pleaza had two unplaced runs before transferring to the Sears yard and, in his five subsequent starts for his new stable, Heza Pleaza only had one runner-up finish to show for his efforts.

But things were about to change.

Tony and Maddysen Sears had been quietly stepping Heza Pleaza up in distance in the runs leading up to this race … from the 1200m on July 14, to 1400m on July 22, to 1666m on August 5 … and they stuck to that strategy here moving the distance test up to 1850m.

Georgina Cartwright jumped Heza Pleaza well enough from the number one barrier, but the speed still came around her in a very keen chase for position going to the first turn.

Initially Heza Pleaza was shuffled back to seventh place, but he always held the rail position and that inside run helped him stay within reasonable touch of the lead, an unpressured five lengths back, as the field went down the back stretch.

When Craypot ($6) and Shooting For Kate ($21) looked like they might be trying to steal the race up front by opening up a sizable lead on the pack at the start of the sweep to the home turn, Cartwright was alert to the danger and she started to rev Heza Pleaza up in no uncertain terms, and the son of Reliable Man responded superbly with a determined piece of acceleration which carried him right into a close up second place, right on the heels of Craypot as the field came to the home turn.

There was no letup now from Heza Pleaza who easily moved past Craypot on straightening … and that, basically, was that!

Once in front, Heza Pleaze dominated the run home, turning the race into a procession as he streaked 3.30 length clear at the line to break his duck in a most emphatic fashion.

Whether this was just his race, or whether Heza Pleaza can now go on with it is a question that will answered at another time.

For now, that important first career win had been ticked off.

More articles