Clyde trainer Jayne Davies is hoping her stable star Penny Veejay can provide her with her second Inter Dominion title at Moonee Valley on Saturday night.By Marc McGowan
GIFTED pacer Penny Veejay will attempt to make his Clyde trainer Jayne Davies’ dreams come true when he steps out in the Inter Dominion grand final at Moonee Valley on Saturday night.
A fast-finishing second to Safari in their semi-final on the weekend has given Davies plenty of hope that she can capture a second Inter Dominion title.
Davies’ champion pacer Golden Reign won the event in Christchurch in 1995.
“It is the best feeling you can ever get in this game. Winning the Inter Dominion is the ultimate,” she said.
“It would be a dream come true if we could win it a second time.”
Davies also has a strong chance in the same night’s Victoria Derby final, with her horse Crusaders Castle drawing well in barrier two.
But it has not been all positive news for Davies and Penny Veejay.
The horse will need luck from barrier nine and is also likely to suffer from Harness Racing Victoria’s (HRV) new security measures, which require horses to be situated at the racing venue 36 hours prior to the event.
That is down from the 48 hours HRV requested at the Hunter Cup this month, but it is still likely to have a debilitating effect on Penny Veejay’s prospects.
“As has been well-publicised, he doesn’t eat or drink when he goes away from home and he didn’t at the Hunter Cup,” Davies said.
“You have to have everything go spot on leading into a race like this, so it is a little bit of a worry if he doesn’t settle.
“I took a mate with him last time who works out of the paddock next to him, but he still didn’t come onto his feed and drank very little.”
Understandably, Davies is critical of HRV’s ruling.
“These horses are athletes and they need to be spot on on the day. You don’t want them going in not eating 48 or 36 hours beforehand,” she said.
“I have nothing against security – it is a good thing to have security guards – but leave the horse in its own environment.”
