Scone trainer Stephen Jones was three strides off landing a unique two state metropolitan double on Saturday. He was glued to a TV monitor at Rosehill Gardens as his promising two year old colt Baby Wong failed by a neck to run down Conexy in the Doomben Plate, with third placegetter She’s So Vain almost eight lengths away.
“The extra ground he covered probably meant the difference between winning and losing,” said Steve. “He was closing fast on the line and would have won in a few more strides. He’ll run in the Phelan Ready Stakes on December 12th at Eagle Farm, and hopefully will do enough to clinch a start in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January.”
Baby Wong was saddled up on Saturday by Steve’s good friend Trevor Whittington who’ll supervise the colt’s training programme over the next fortnight. “Trevor’s a greatly experienced horseman who’ll do a great job in my absence.”
Less than half an hour after the Doomben Plate, Stephen more than compensated for Baby Wong’s narrow defeat when Warrah Flash produced a career best effort to win the Class 2 TAB Highway at Rosehill Gardens. Aided by a copybook Nash Rawiller ride, the four year old established a winning break at the 200m before scoring comfortably from Art Cadeau and Kattegat.
The lightly raced gelding is by Snitzel’s son Salade who won only once in seven starts, but that lone win happened to be in the Gr 2 Pago Pago Stakes by an emphatic 2.5 lengths. He wasn’t disgraced in Sepoy’s Golden Slipper a week later, finishing midfield a little over 5 lengths from the winner. Warrah Flash’s dam Rhiannon’s Joy was a four time Victorian provincial winner for Rick Hore-Lacy.
Warrah Flash is by Snitzel's son Salade who won only one race in seven starts - the Gr.2 Pago Pago Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
“He’s one of those horses who’s improved with each preparation,” said Steve. “This time he had only one barrier trial at Muswellbrook before resuming in a BM66 at Dubbo.He had no luck in that race coming from last to run fourth only a couple of lengths from the winner. In the belief that he’s best when fresh, I gave him twenty eight days leading into Saturday’s race.”
“He was nice and sharp at barrier rise, quickly found the box seat and travelled generously to the corner. His turn of foot in the straight put the race beyond doubt in a few strides. There’s a bit of upside about the horse and I’m pleased to say Nash Rawiller has a bit of time for him too. I’ll look for a Class 3 TAB Highway next assignment.”
I’ve had high regard for Stephen’s assessment of his horses ever since I visited his Rosehill stables with a Sky Channel camera crew one Friday in 1992. He had a couple of useful mares running the following day at a Canterbury meeting - Wayer’s Delight in the Canterbury Cup and River Love in the listed Clyde Kennedy. He expected Wayer’s Delight to run well and was very upbeat about River Love’s prospects in the 1100m race. The record books show that Wayer’s Delight missed a place in the Gr 3, but River Love led throughout to win the stakes race at 100/1.
Steve after a TAB Highway win with Hit The Target at Rosehill 09/11/2019 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Stephen Jones grew up in Armidale on the NSW Northern Tablelands and gravitated to horses at a very early age. He was a consistently good performer in pony club and carried his talents over to the show ring as he reached mid teens. His passion for thoroughbreds was sparked when he landed a job at Gerry Harvey’s newly established Broombee Stud in the mid 1970’s.
“I helped prepare some of the very first yearlings ever bred by a man who has gone on to become a giant in the business,” said Steve. “I’m proud to say I put the polish on Gerry’s first $100,000 yearling which was an important milestone forty years ago. Tommy Smith purchased the Sir Tristram filly to be known as Blazing Silks and won six city races with her, including four on the trot at one stage. Gerry was tickled pink.”
Another Of Steve’s duties during his time at Broombee was to exercise the few racehorses that Gerry liked to have pre trained on the property. The previously remote prospect of becoming a jockey, suddenly dominated his thoughts. He got a start with local trainer Lloyd Kingelty, and the die was irretrievably cast. His master was happy to transfer Steve’s indentures when a position later became available with Canterbury trainer John Berry.
A win for long time client Gerry Harvey with Herzegovina (Aaron Bullock) at Gosford last year - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
“I actually lived in with the Berry family, and they treated me wonderfully,” recalled Steve. “John was a disciplinarian of sorts who kept a tight rein on his staff. There were no late nights and he took a dim view of irresponsible behavior. Best thing that could have happened to me at that time. I learned to ride at Canterbury in the company of jockeys like the late Norm Munsie who was a great tutor.
“John Berry took his horses wherever they were best placed. I spent most of my apprenticeship at country meetings and looking back now they were great days. I never rode a city winner, but got close to 100 winners on outside tracks. I lasted about six years, before my weight got out of hand. I had no option but to turn to training if I wanted to stay in the game.”
Jockey Stephen Jones after a win on Arataki at Armidale in the late 1970s. Strapper is Jeff Snowdon.
Canterbury was a busy little precinct when Stephen Jones began his training career in the mid eighties. He was still there a decade later when the Sydney Turf Club closed the training facilities. He was one of several trainers to relocate to Rosehill, while Rod Craig elected to move to Warwick Farm and a handful of others saw it as the appropriate time to relinquish their licences.
An oldie of Black On Black (Bruce Johnson) after giving Steve his first win as a trainer - Inverell 1981.
With rarely more than fourteen or fifteen horses in work, Steve maintained a healthy strike rate from his Rosehill base over the next four years. He and partner Tracy may never have considered a move to Queensland had they not got a taste of sunshine state racing when they took Our Banker north for the Magic Millions carnival of 1996.
“Not only did we fall in love with the Gold Coast, but we were pretty excited when Our Banker ran a cracking second in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic,” said Steve. “He got back to last from a wide gate and was held up at a crucial stage in the straight before charging home to finish second to Winger Charger.”
Stephen and Tracy during the Canterbury training era.
It was no surprise a couple of years later when Stephen and Tracy decided to sell up at Rosehill and relocate to Queensland where they acquired stables a stone’s throw from the Gold Coast racecourse. “We had sixteen happy years and a fair measure of success on the Gold Coast, but decided on a change of direction when prominent owner Peter Malpass approached us with a proposal,” said Steve.
“Peter had developed a property at Beaudesert featuring a great private training track where he intended to spell, pre train and offer training services to clients. He asked us to manage the place and train a team of some forty horses. We spent over eighteen months at Beaudesert, before a phone conversation with an old friend changed everything.”
Stephen had trained horses successfully for Gerry Harvey from the mid 1980’s, but the leviathan owner/breeder preferred to have his horses based in NSW. He casually suggested that should Stephen relocate to his home state he could be assured of strong patronage. “True to his word, Gerry has given us tremendous support since we returned to NSW four years ago. He owns more than half of the 35 horses we have in work currently.”
Stephen is one of seven trainers based right on the Scone racecourse, with several others operating from stables around the district. “We have outstanding training tracks, swimming facilities, walking machines and a marvellous stock route which enables us to give horses a lovely change of environment,” said Jones. “Our location gives us easy access to North Coast meetings, Newcastle, Gosford, Wyong and the metropolitan area. If we need to go to the western districts to find a suitable race, the mileage is manageable.”
Stephen’s the first to admit he’d be lost without the support and expertise of his long time partner Tracy Rodger. This multi talented lady is equally at home running the office as she is saddling up at the races or driving the stable’s seven horse transport. Tracy learned the basics as a teenager from her late father Howard Rodger who started his training career at Tintenbar in northern NSW, before moving to stables at Rosehill in the mid 1980’s. He won a string of city races with horses like My Red Dear, Corkage and Iga Ninja.
What a combination! Stephen and Tracy during their Beaudesert stint 2014.
There are days when Stephen Jones allows himself time to reminisce during quiet moments in his Scone office. The racing photographs adorning the walls are testimony to his journey through almost five decades in racing. Perhaps the most significant horse in the photo collection is Black On Black who was owned by his late father Oliver. This was the mare to give Stephen his very first win as a trainer at Inverell in August 1981, with Bruce Johnson on board. Of great sentimental value is a picture of Brother Nero with Sam Mezzasalma in the saddle giving him his first city win at Warwick Farm in 1984.
Steve reflects on favourites like Flash Fable (8 wins), A’Beckett (5 wins), King’s Chariot (4 wins), Lord Radiant (9 wins), Uncle James (6 wins), Fangles (11 wins), and Akasaki (8 wins). The latter is still in training and was a recent winner at Newcastle. From his riding days Steve recalls winning on Mea Culpa at Kembla Grange to give Rod Craig his first win as a trainer. As a trainer he reflects on having provided Craig Carmody’s first Saturday win on Teggun Mas at Rosehill in the mid 1980’s.
The trainer fondly remembers having top apprentice Ron McDougall in his care during the 1990’s. “At the peak of his powers he was one of the best apprentices in Australia,” said Steve. “It wasn’t uncommon for him to have three or four offers in a race. Tommy Smith was one trainer to use him frequently.”
Ron McDougall’s son Blaike has obviously inherited a lot of his father’s ability. The Riverina based jockey finished second to Andrew Gibbons on the NSW premiership ladder last season with a whopping 122.5 winners. Just three and a half months into the new season, Blaike is already into the mid fifties and has only Tommy Berry in front of him on the state ladder.
At 64 and with close to 700 winners under his belt, Steve Jones has plenty of time to generate a few more memories before tightening a girth for the final time. He’s based in one of Australia’s best training environments and has the unwavering support of loyal owners and a devoted partner. I don’t think Stephen Jones would be changing too much if he had it all over again.
(Banner image - Warrah Flash (Nash Rawiller) wins the TAB Highway on Saturday from Art Cadeau and Kattegat - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)