Jag Guthmann Chester landed his first metropolitan winner since his return from injury
Apprentice Jag Guthmann-Chester has had to work hard to get his first metropolitan winner since his return from injury.
Guthmann Chester was leading the Brisbane apprentice’s premiership on eight winners when he injured a leg in a fall at Doomben in October.
He resumed last month and landed his first winner on Same Old at a provincial meeting at the Gold Coast on December 30.
On Wednesday, he rode a heady race to get Dreams Aplenty ($1.65) home by a short half head over Time To Torque ($3.40) in the Open Handicap (1350m) at the metropolitan meeting at Ipswich.
Dreams Aplenty is a noted leader but when he couldn’t get to the front, Guthmann Chester tracked the leader Love And Lies.
He went to the front in the straight and had to fight hard to hold off Time To Torque.
The race was originally scheduled as provincial standard last Saturday but was called off because of heat and reprogrammed as metropolitan in the midweek slot.
Trainer John Zielke can hardly wait to get Dreams Aplenty, who won the Group Three Gunsynd Stakes as a three-year-old, back on a track with give in it.
“I was in the jockeys room last Saturday with the saddle for Dreams A Plenty when they called the meeting off because of the heat,” Zielke said.
“But I was pleased when they rescheduled it for today. I am aiming Dreams APlenty at the Caloundra Cup over 1400 metres on Saturday week and this was a good lead-up.”
Zielke said he had booked Guthmann Chester for Dreams APlenty when the gelding was given 59kg.
“Jag is a very good young rider and he followed my instructions perfectly here,” Zielke said.
Trainer Chris Munce continued his winning association with syndicate boss Shelley Hancox when Johnny Whitesox ($2.80) was an impressive winner in the Three-Year-Old Handicap (1200m).
Johnny Whitesox sat just off the pace but came away to win by 3-3/4 lengths from Don’t Leave Me Out ($2.40).
Munce rode many winners for Hancox, one of Australia’s best known syndicators, including the 1996 Group One Goodwood on Sword.
“Shelley was a great supporter of mine as a jockey and has continued on when I took up training,” Munce said.
