“He’s still not a sprinter, but he showed me more early pace than I was expecting.”
Champion trainer Patrick Janssens is a tough man to please, but when he describes the new Towcester sprint record breaker Bockos Jon Jo as ‘not really a sprinter’, he is actually paying the dog a huge compliment.
The Golden Sprint winner trapped reasonably before powering away to a 15.64 run over the Towcester 270 metre course in the opening round of the TRC Health & Hygiene Northamptonshire Sprint. (The previous best was Bentley Crew’s 15.65).
Patrick said: “It was a great run considering is isn’t a pure sprinter, and it isn’t even an ideal track for him. The Towcester straights are longer than they were previously (280m/290m), but you still couldn’t consider them a long run to the bend, in the way that Hove or Nottingham are. Of course once he gets clear, he class just takes him further and further away.
“Again he reminds me of Kilmore Lemon who was beaten in his three races at the track, and like Lemon he is getting better as he is getting older. He is making fewer mistakes and I expect him to get stronger.
“He will be three years old by the time of the Yarmouth Derby. I took Lemon there at a similar stage and he was doing 27.40s.
“I’m a bit concerned because there are a lot of railers in the semi finals, but hopefully we will get a decent draw.
“I would like to add that I thought the track preparation was superb last night. It was the same when I came for trials last week. The place has a few knockers but I can’t criticise anything about it.”
QUEEN LILLY clear at the first bend from runner up Mr Roo (t1) in heat 4 of the TRC Northamptonshire Sprint Photo: © Steve Nash
