Former club president lands maiden win as a trainer

By Jordan Gerrans

Charleville’s Vivian Jones has made the successful switch from administration in racing to training.

The long-time thoroughbred owner spent around a year as president of the Central Warrego Race Club at Charleville.

The 69-year-old has since stepped off the club committee and turned his hand to preparing gallopers.

The retiree tasted success at just his second race meeting where he started Kukinta and she broke her maiden status at Cunnamulla Jockey Club on Saturday.

Jones – who is known as ‘Bimbi’ in the bush – owned a share in the mare before taking on the training duties for the daughter of Hinchinbrook.

Remarkably, the six-year-old mare sat in the paddock for almost two years without heading to the races before Jones brought her back into work.

Jones stepped into the training ranks to keep himself active and moving along.

He has owned many race horses through his life with a number of different trainers.

“A mate of mine Victor Tighe and I have retired and he gives me a hand, so we decided to have a look at a few horses,” Jones said.

“We have had a fair bit to do with owning horses over the years but that slowed down.

“We were talking about it and decided I would get my licence to train these horses.

"It started for something to do.”

The mare was previously prepared by Tina Cotsiopoulos in the city and contested multiple metropolitan races.

She was in the paddock between September of 2022 until March of this year before Jones brought her back into work.

She most certainly needed the run first-up as she did not figure in the finish at Charleville on the sand in early March.

“It took a bit to get her back going, we gave her one start at Charleville and she finished 15 lengths behind the winner,” Jones said.

“We knew she was underdone and we knew at that point we were not doing enough with her so we cranked up the work rate a little bit.

“The result was what happened in Cunnamulla.”

Over 1000 metres at Cunnamulla on Saturday, Kukinta led from start to finish and scored by five lengths in a dominant display in the QTIS Maiden Plate.

The race was set to be held at Noorama on Saturday before being rescheduled to Cunnamulla.

“It was a thrill, alright,” Jones said with a laugh.

“We were not expecting her to win because it was her second start after being out in the paddock for so long but she has come up really well now.

“I think she will win a couple more for us, hopefully.

"That will make it a bit better.”

Jones has three gallopers in his stable and started gelding Ready Made in the same race Kukinta won on Saturday.

He also has another gelding named Rebel Rebellion in his team. 

Rebel Rebellion has not been at the races since early 2022.

Jones says he swims his gallopers a lot as well as their track work.

The fledgling trainer plans to start all three from his team across the non-TAB program from Cunnamulla on Anzac Day this coming Thursday.

A seven-event program is set for decision on Thursday and the meeting will be headlined by a Battle Of The Bush qualifier.