Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Ultra-consistent New Zealand-bred five-year-old Jett Star warmed up for next Friday night’s $50,000 Four and Five-Year-Old Championship in fine style with a fighting victory in the $22,000 Fly Like An Eagle Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Jett Star, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, was the $2 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier. But outstanding young driver Deni Roberts didn’t enjoy a carefree trip before she guided Jett Star to win the race in a thrilling four-way photo finish.
First, Jett Star had to stave off an early challenge for the lead from last-start winner and $15 chance Ima Fivestar General, and then after setting the pace he was passed by $34 chance The Code Breaker about 280m from home.
However, Roberts lifted Jett Star off the canvas, and he defeated Faster Than Dad ($7.50) by a head, with The Code Breaker a half-head back in third place, just a head in front of $31 chance Wait For the Bell.
“I was a little bit surprised that Ima Fivestar General got a half-length in front of me early,” said Roberts. “But he was never going to cross me. The Code Breaker got in front of me by a good metre or so, and I couldn’t really get Jett Star to go forward at that point because he was running up the track a little bit.
“However, when I got to the corner, I was able to kick through and regain the lead. It was a hard race to rate in a small field of seven, having so many sit-sprinters around me. If you go too fast you bring them into it, or if you go too slow then they can still zap you.”
Jett Star has been a model of consistency and he has earned $172,862 from 15 wins and eight placings from 31 starts. He is by Bettors Delight and is out of the Falcon Seelster mare Steel The Light, who raced 32 times for seven wins, nine placings and $40,639.
Jett Star’s six-year-old full brother Steel The Show has raced 50 times for ten wins, 15 placings and $256,258 in stakes. His past six starts have been for the Bond camp, with Roberts driving him for four wins and two fourths.