Ex-pat Kiwis Craig and Tony (pictured on right) Jamieson have recorded their first win since crossing the ditch with five-year-old trotter Scootin Around saluting at Geelong. And their second and third followed in quick succession.
Scooting Around, a $12 chance, benefitted from an excellent drive from Greg Sugars, switching to the sprint lane and running down odds-on favourite Central Otago to score by a head, last Wednesday night.
“Obviously it was a huge thrill for us to get the monkey off the back,” said Craig Jamieson. “I thought he might give it a shake but he’s an awkward drive around the last bend – he gets in a wee bit and you’ve just got to nurse him. He can lose a length easily so he does make it hard on himself. Greg knows him – he’s driven him a lot – so that helps a bit too.”
As thrilling as the win was, Craig’s celebrations weren’t immediate thanks to a patchy internet connection.
“I was at home, Tony took him in,” Craig continued.
“We haven’t actually got a modem for the internet yet so I was watching on my phone and it froze half way up the straight – I wasn’t actually watching it live. I thought he looked half likely with 100m to go (when it froze), then I thought maybe not. But then he got there in the end.”
The response to their breakthrough victory has been enormous – on both sides of the Tasman.
“It’s been quite humbling actually, a lot of people that we hadn’t heard from for years got in touch. It’s been quite cool. Our families first and foremost, they were over the moon. It’s not just Tony and I, they’re a big part of it so they were obviously very pleased.”
The Jamiesons moved to Australia in late May and now prepare a team of 12 horses out of the Cranbourne Training Centre.
They’d had eight starters without success since Scootin Around debuted for the team in June, but didn’t have to wait long for their second with Mojito Madness saluting at Kilmore on Thursday night. And then at Cranbourne yesterday (Sunday August 28) Sir Chow took out the opening event on debut.
Their success has invigorated the brothers and left them optimistic of continued success.
“They’re all nice horses that we’ve walked into – you don’t train ability into them. Dylan (Stratford) has done a good job with the whole lot. They’re nice horses and we’ve been lucky enough to carry on with them.
“It was a rough two or three weeks there, the weather hasn’t helped and you get a few that get crook and whatnot and it sort of snowballs. But when it turns out like this week has it is reassuring because you can scratch your head and wonder and can start changing this or that, and that’s probably worse. So it was good to see this week, it certainly puts a spring in your step.
“We are under no illusions, it is a hard game and we knew that before we came. But we’re fortunate that we’re doing it together so we’re pretty lucky. When the girls and the kids get here, I think it’ll get better.”
