By Duane Ranger
Redcliffe horsewoman, Aileen Smith, achieved a lifetime dream at 7.20pm at Albion Park on Saturday. Then after getting back home relatively early, she rugged up her horses, had some chicken wings, a cup of tea, and then she retired to bed.
“I was up by 4.30 the next morning to tend to my horses. The world doesn’t stop when you win a Group One. It was an absolutely amazing feeling and a dream come true, but life goes on,” the ever humble Smith said.
“Saturday was a great night, but Sunday was no different,” she added.
Up until Saturday night Smith had never even lined up a starter in a Group One event.
Jiggle And Jive not only won the $100,000 Egmont Park Stud Triad for the 2yo pacing fillies, but she also did it comfortably by 3.9m in 1:54.9 – and on Racing Queensland’s biggest night of the season.
After getting to the front Nathan Dawson set the daughter of Bettor’s Delight alive mid-race and after two final quarters of 28.5, they simply had to much sprint for their 10 opponents.
It was also the most memorable race of Nathan Dawson’s career. The 23-year-old also nailed his first Group One event.
“It doesn’t get any better than this. This is why we all race every week, hoping we can all get a Group 1 one day I’m rapt. This is a moment I will never forget. I just want to thank everyone who made it possible, especially Aileen.
“She had the horse in perfect condition tonight. She has made my dream come true,” the 23-year-old Tamborine reinsman said.
Smith said she had known Dawson for several years and she was delighted that they could both win their maiden Group One events on the same night.
“I laughed with Nathan after the race and said I’m about 40 years older than you. I hope I don’t have to wait another 40 for the next one.
“Nathan is a great chap and a good young driver. He used to hang around our barn when he was doing the Mini Trotters with Greg Franklin. We did tease him in the last couple of weeks though saying we were going to get Mark Purdon to drive the horse since he was over here.
“It was all banter. It was a great drive. That mid-race move was the winning of the race,” Smith said.
Jiggle and Jive is the third of four foals out of the three-win Christian Cullen mare, Versace Woman. All four foals are by Bettor’s Delight and were bred by their owner, Keith Croft.
Versace Woman’s first foal, a 2012 gelding named Betting Baron won nine races, while 2013 gelding, Just Joshin, has also won two races for the Smith – Croft combo. The mare has also left an un-named 2-year-old filly.
Jiggle And Jive has now won three of her six starts and placed in two others for $72,503 in stakes.
“She will now go to the paddock for an eight-week break because there’s simply no racing for her here now.
Smith paid a tribute to her staff for the stable achievement.
“My son Aaron and Don Boldery have been a great help. Don and Keith have been friends since high school and that’s how Keith’s horses came to our stable.
“I live just four houses down from the track and work no more than four at a time. My father, who is in his 80s still lives with me. He was on-course last night.
“It hasn’t been easy for my parents. Dad (Cliff) has bowel cancer and Mum (Joyce) is going into a rest home. We came to Redcliffe in 1970 and I’ve been doing the horses here since 1978. It’s in my blood now, and after Saturday night I don’t think it will ever leave me,” said Smith.
The third night of the 2019 Racing Queensland TAB Winter Carnival proved to be a night of milestones and track records – four in fact.
Justabitnoisy, Self Assured, Colt Thirty One, and Expensive Ego all set new marks in races six, seven, eight, and nine respectively.
The Doug Lee trained, driven, owned, and bred Justabitnoisy won the Group Three Haras Des Trotteurs 3,157m (stand) Marathon in 4:01 even, which equated to a 2:02.8 mile rate.
Then the Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen trained Self Assured made it six wins from six starts in the Group One TAB Queensland Derby for the 3yo pacers. That Bettor’s Delight gelding paced the 2,680m mobile in 3:10.2 (1:54.2 mile rate).
The third track record came via the Grant Dixon trained and driven Queensland Horse-of-the-Year, Colt Thirty One in the Group One $250,000 Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship. Their time was 3:09.4 (mile rate 1:53.7) for the 2,680m mobile.
Then at 9.35pm the David Thorn trained and Jim Douglass driven, Expensive Ego, set his record in the Group One $100,000 Egmont Park Stud QBRED Triad for the 2yo pacing colts and geldings. Their time for the 1,660m mobile was 1:56.5 (mile rate 1:52.9).