DIAMONDSNSTONES has taken his time to break through for his Inverell trainer.
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“Two years,” William Miller confirmed on Thursday after his seven-year-old gelding won the Peter Jackson Bookmaker Pace (1609m) at Tamworth Paceway.
The son of Heartland Hanover was having his 10th start with young Tom Ison in the spider but defied the favourite, Artistic Double, fighting off his challenge down the back straight and into the home straight before unlucky Kemira Cause (Anthony Varga) got up the rail to finish 3m away second.
“I’ve been waiting for two years to get something out of him,” Miller said.
“The draws have been the main thing – bad draws and bad manners.
“He’s strong though. Isn’t he Tommy?” Miller said to his young driver as they took off all the gelding’s gear.
Ison agreed.
He also agreed he didn’t need the whip, rather needed both hands on the reins to keep the gelding running true.
“That’s eight winners I think, might be nine,” the 16-year-old Year 11 Tamworth High student said.
“When Artistic Double came at us down the back she made us roll.
“He was really strong, put in a good third quarter (29.6secs). She went good.”
Diamondsnstones has had a poultice of problems.
“Muscle problems and then half lame but he’s come through it all,” Miller said.
“His dam (Angel Martino) has also had four or five foals to race and they’ve all won.”
Diamondsnstones is one of two pacers Miller has in work.
“I’ve got another little two-year-old out of Clarrie’s Deal,” he said of a former race mare he trained and drove to success.
“She was an 18th birthday present for Clayton.
“She won eight for us but 15 or 16 if you count all the show stuff. She was a very strong mare too.”
Clayton is William’s son, nicknamed Clarrie, who is training in Canada (Toronto) now.
A race later and Tom’s older brother, Sam, was also in the winning circle with Pirates Pearl.
Sam is a self-confessed “shed rat”, employed at Hazells Farm & Fertilizer Services by Rod and Dianne Hazell, who also own and race Pirates Pearl.
“A great drive,” Rod Hazell said of Sam’s effort to win by 8m in a 2:02.3 mile rate.
“He took them on early and stayed there.”
Sam Ison was delighted to score an “unexpected win”.
Pirates Pearl had jumped from barrier one but was crossed and sat in the death for a short while before trailing a line of three.
Sam Ison made the decision to go around them and lead and it was a winning decision.
She did the rest.
“I might lead more often,” Sam Ison said.
“That’s her second win this time in too.”
She paid $28 for the win while Diamondsnstones returned $15.90 on the NSW TAB for Tom Ison.
It was a day for longshots, with Big Riddle (Chris Shepherdson) and Sissies Beach Girl (Dave Munsie) winning at good odds while visiting Young Rusty (Bill Lesslie) and Long Term Fella (Lola Weidemann) were also successful.
Long Term Fella ran a quick 1min 58.6secs to win the TAB Rewards Pace (1609m) by 13.75m for his Queensland (Clifton) stable while Narrabri’s Chris and Peter Shepherdson warmed up for the approaching Narrabri carnival by combining to win three races with Big Riddle, I Want Candy and Rockstar Ruler.