By Jonny Turner
Folklore, the little mare that could, helped Jonny Cox continue a brilliant week in the sulky at Addington on Thursday night.
Cox followed on from his win in last weekend’s Group Three Rangiora Classic with Self Assured by scoring with both Folklore and Stag Party.
Folklore notched back-to-back Addington victories with her signature style – sitting off the speed and sticking her neck out and running home with purpose.
“She tries really hard, I would love to have a stable full of horses that try as hard as her,” Cox said.
“The last couple of times we have been lucky enough to get a bit of luck and sit off a good speed and we have got the gaps when we have needed them.”
“She has got a good turn of foot which helps and they have gone hard enough that she just keeps trucking away.”
“She puts her head down and she tries as hard as she can.”
Folklore may have never looked like an out and out star in her career, but she is on track to finish with the record of a very good mare as she continues to handle rises in grade.
The five-year-old has now won six of her 34 starts for Cox’s aunty and uncle, Iain and Nola Wilson.
“Iain and Nola are loving it, she is their pride and joy and they are having a lot of fun with her.”
Cox was back in the winner’s circle two races later on Thursday night when Stag Party justified his hot favouritism for race 10.
The reinsman negotiated a path to the front from barrier 1 on the second row to help the Hayden Cullen trained pacer score his second career win.
“It was a tricky draw on paper, I thought there might have been a bit more gate speed than what there was.”
“I didn’t really know where we were going to end up but it worked out good having a gap to get off.”
“I thought I had stuffed it up when I went three-wide when the parked horse took the leader on.”
“But he has raced in better fields, he probably wouldn’t want to be doing that much work all the time, but he was definitely very good tonight.”
Stag Party’s win continued the strong association Cox has with owner Jean Feiss.
Cox drove his first Group One pacing winner when the Feiss-owned Elle Mac took out the Caduceus Club Classic at Alexandra Park in 2017.
The reinsman helped the Victorian owner add another group race trophy to her massive collection when Self Assured won last weekend.
“I have been really lucky to drive some really nice horses for Jean, she has been very good to me.”
“And it goes back to when I drove Elle Mac for her when I had my first stint working at the All Stars (stable).”
“It is great being back there working for Hayden and I have been pretty lucky that Jean has been happy to put me on a few more of her nice horses.”
Self Assured’s season-ending win may have looked very simple at first glance.
He was hot favourite, he led and he won in slick time.
But it wasn’t quite as straight forward according to Cox, who admitted he wasn’t filled with confidence at the 600m.
“We were cruising along but he was never on the bit, he is a bit of a deceiving horse.”
“When I pulled up I said to Tim (Williams) it felt like a sprint home, but he said he thought we bowled along a bit.”
“When the time came up I get a hell of a surprise, he is just such a deceiving horse.”
“He never travelled like he was going to win it and when Tim (and Spankem) came off my back I thought he was going to go straight past us.”
“But he is a good horse and he knew what he was there for and he kept his nose out in front.”
Cox will attempt to continue his successful week at Winton on Friday.
