Nearly two decades after beginning his training career, Shane Jack broke through for his first city win when the aptly named Folding Green saluted at Sandown Park on Thursday.
Folding Green was the rank outsider of the field being sent to the boxes as a 20/1 chance but defied the luxurious odds to score by 2½ lengths in 30.16.
“There was no pressure on him early, he actually jumped with them and when the one and four missed it a bit all of sudden he’s in the clear and where he wanted to be,” said an ecstatic Jack after the race.
“I’ve had maybe a dozen or so wins on Sundays and Wednesdays but this is my first full stake win. I’ve been in the caper a long time, it’s not easy to get. (Folding Green) had to be lucky tonight – it wasn’t the quickest race in the world but they don’t pay you on times. I’m super stoked.”
Last night’s win was just Folding Green’s 5th from 65 career starts. He had recently endured a run of 28 outs and two starts prior to tonight had been running in Tier 3 company, however has found form of late having won his last two and has been placed in his last five starts. Folding Green and his litter brother Fifty Dollars (their mother was named Crisp Note) were giveaways, and make up a quarter of Jack’s Dalmore kennel.
“I’ve had some fun with them all the way. He (Folding Green) has been very unlucky with box draws – he just doesn’t get anywhere near the rails and he’s a railer. Last Friday when he won (at Bendigo), he had the red and you could see it gave him confidence. I didn’t think they’d run 29.40s tonight, I thought it’d be a 30 second race and that’s what it ended up being. Even when he was checked in races here before (he’d been unplaced in three prior Sandown Park runs) he was running low 30s.”
It was a profitable result for Jack, and not just because of the $5000 winner’s cheque, Jack also cashed in his charge’s big starting price.
“When I saw the price earlier I thought I just have to have a go because it was just ridiculous, his form was better than that. I’m very pleased.”
Later in the night, Striker Light fine-tuned her preparations for next week’s Victorian heats of the Crocmedia National Sprint Championship with an impressive victory in the night’s Free For All. It was the Brett Bravo trained sprinter’s 30th career victory and took her prize money beyond $700,000, the 10th Australian chaser to reach that plateau.
Click here for full results from last night’s meeting.
Folding Green gives Shane Jack his first city winner
