Patrick Janssens moved to within 29 Trainers Championship points of Mark Wallis following Bockos Jon Jo’s victory in the Coral Golden Sprint.
The Big Belgian went into the competition with two runners, the first and third favourites. After the first round, he was down to one with ante post favourite and defending champ Goldies Hoddle (10-1) injured and retired.
Bockos Jon Jo, who was beaten in the first round, bounced back to land the fastest semi and the 12-1 ante post shot was made an odds on favourite after drawing the red box for the Cat 1 final.
Patrick said: “Graham (Box) bought him after a 28.10 trial at Shelbourne, admittedly when the track was flying due the Derby last year. Before that he had been leading at Galway but fading.
“We brought him over and he went into the Maiden Derby at Henlow but really didn’t run the track. He showed good pace along the backstraight but couldn’t take the bend. We put him around Romford in a maiden and he really took to the place.
“We did consider the Winter Derby at Monmore, but the track was running so slow at the time that we didn’t think it was fair to ask him to run the 480 metres on .80 slow or something similar, and we targeted the Golden Sprint instead.”
Jon Jo reminds Patrick of another former kennel star, Kilmore Lemon, though there are a couple of significant differences.
Lemon was withdrawn lame as the likely favourite for the 2018 Golden Sprint final and then finished second to Union Jack in the 2019 decider.
He said: “Neither are great trappers, though Lemon was less draw dependent than Jon Jo. He could run from any box but Jon Jo really needs the inside. I would say Lemon had more early, they both possessed devastating pace from two to three, but Jon Jo stays on better.
“We will probably run him in the sprint at Towcester next but he really looks like a dog who would be ideally suited to Yarmouth.”
BOCKOS JON JO – Golden Sprint winner on the podium with Luke Staunton and Ria Tillett, kennelhands to Patrick Janssens
Romford 19th March 2021 Photo: © Steve Nash
