TREVOR Leonard was bored, not having a horse and all his young ones spelling.
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So the Werris Creek newsagent, who has owned and trained pacers for many years, decided to buy another – five-year-old gelding Wranglers Rockstar.
Yesterday that purchase paid off when Wranglers Rockstar surged home from back in the field to win the Sky Sports Radio Pace (1980m).
Anthony Varga bided his time well to make his move leaving the back straight to pace three wide to a 2.5m victory from Just Conduct (Jess Dart).
“I pulled out at the 300m,” Varga told course interviewer Mark Lowe.
“Trev’s got him going good.”
A big gangly son of Modern Art, Wranglers Rockstar negotiated the turn a lot better than he had been.
Leonard was waiting for Varga and Wranglers Rockstar at the tie-up stall.
“He’s got no heart,” Leonard admitted of what was a first win for the gelding at his 13th start.
“That was a perfect drive though,” he said to Varga and this journalist.
“You held him for as long as you could and he still wanted to throw it away.”
Leonard bought Wranglers Rockstar from his Parkes owner recently.
“He’s had a few starts for us – we just had trouble getting him going.
“We’ve tried everything.
“We even had him on a course of acupuncture with Davey Proctor.
“He’s improved but he’s still not strong.
“And he’s not the strongest horse in the world as it is.”
“But I only bought him because I was bored.
“I didn’t have a horse racing.
“I’ve got the young ones back in now so hopefully we might get a couple of wins out of him and move him on.”
Leonard has high hopes for his “young ones”, all progeny from Cobla Mickleroy’s dam.
Varga’s win with Wranglers Rockstar was the first leg of a double for the Tamworth mechanic.
He also saluted later in the day with Big Tom Lombo.
That win also handed Tamworth trainer Ernie Mabbott a double as he had won the second race of the day with Genas Delight.
That was also part of a driving double for Dean Chapple who won the third race with exciting Kiwi mare Artsu.
Tamworth trainer Tony Missen and his driver-brother, Peter, also finished with a double when they combined to win with Blissful Atom and My Red Ruby.
