Ross Adams has been walking with a spring in his step over the last few weeks and the reason isn’t hard to fathom. The veteran trainer is understandably excited about the return of his star filly Vincenzina following her winter spell - in fact she’ll be at the Menangle trials as this story goes onto the website.
Since Vincenzina’s last appearance in April, Ross has been concentrating on Penrith meetings with a small team of average horses. He can’t wait to get back to the big stretches at Menangle where this filly’s explosive finishing sprint makes his eyes water.
The experienced horseman rarely has more than half a dozen horses on his books these days, but can’t help himself when he’s asked to try a young, untried prospect. His eyes lit up in March of 2018 when his good friend Tony Lavrencic offered him the yearling filly by Betterthancheddar from the unraced Mach Three mare Full Speed Betty. Tony owns the broodmare in partnership with well known New Zealand trainer Richard Brosnan who’s now based in Victoria.
Ross knew that Betterthancheddar had been a 1.48 winner in North America and had been the fastest son of Bettor’s Delight to go to stud at that time. He also recalled the blazing speed of his daughter My Sweetchilliphilly who’d won the Bathurst Gold Tiara Final by a huge margin.
Tony Lavrencic explained that the filly’s dam had shown promise in early trials, but was retired to stud after being severely affected by the ravages of the 2007 equine influenza epidemic.
Ross noted with interest that Vincenzina was Full Speed Betty’s sixth foal. The first two were colts - Dusty Delight who did a good job to win 15 races, and John Preston who’d won only one race in Tasmania. Her next three foals were fillies - Hirondelle who failed to win in ten starts, the unraced Rockon Betsy and a 2015 Courage Under Fire filly which was never named.
Vincenzina entered the Adams stable towards the end of her breaking in preparation with John Gale. “I gave her a couple of weeks work on the 1600m Hawkesbury trial track before turning her out. She had a great attitude and did everything so easily. There was something special about her even then.
Ross Adams has been training and driving horses for 54 years. He says Vincenzina is the fastest juvenile he's driven - courtesy Trotguide.com.au.
“By the end of her second preparation she was bowling around like a seasoned racehorse,” Ross recalled. “I let her slide up a casual 400m on a couple of occasions in what felt like 34 seconds. I was amazed to see she’d clocked a bit worse than thirty seconds. She did it so easily.”
The filly was named in honour of Tony Lavrencic’s 92 year old mother, and made her debut at Penrith on February 28th last year. After travelling three back on the pegs for most of the journey she didn’t get a lot of room in the run home and finished fourth to Michelle Lee Mac.
Just over two weeks later Vincenzina opened her winning account at Menangle, producing the dazzling sprint that quickly became her trademark. With the 2YO Breeders Challenge Heats still two months away, Ross gave the filly a few easy weeks and she didn’t reappear until May 16th, when she came from last of six to win easily at Penrith.
Vincenzina opened her winning account at her second race start in 1.55.6 - courtesy Trotguide.com.au.
Eight days later Vincenzina contested a Challenge Heat at Bankstown, and for the first time displayed a trait which has become a source of concern for her trainer. “She came out of the 1x1 trail and dashed up to the leader Smooth Style in a few strides,” said Ross. “Halfway down the straight she thought the job was done and suddenly switched off, allowing the other filly to kick back and beat her.”
Then came the Breeders Challenge Semi Final at Menangle when everything fell into place. She came from one out two back, to swoop down the outside and grab Pelosi right on the line at a 1.54 rate. The extreme outside barrier and a sizzling 26.6 final quarter put her out of contention in the Challenge Final. She finished 5th after which she headed straight to the spelling paddock.
Vincenzina’s 3YO campaign began with one of her best ever performances in the Gr 2 J.L. Raith Memorial. She gave the talented Dr. Susan a massive start before going under by only a head in a slick 1.52.1. Next assignment was a heat of the Seymour Evolution series, and an explosive finishing burst saw her four metres ahead of Vantori Hanover on the line in 1.53.4.
The filly has never been better than she was in the Evolution Series Final.
From barrier 10 she went straight back to last, and Ross was praying for a genuine speed in the race. The first quarter was good at 26.7, the second not so good at 29.4. He was gifted a three wide trail behind Gee Gee Blinxs from the 800m and was delighted when they reeled off a 27.4 third split.
Despite being shunted 5 wide on the corner, Vincenzina sprouted wings on straightening and actually reached the lead earlier than Ross intended. Although she lost concentration momentarily, the $1.75 “pop” went on to win clearly in a PB of 1.51.8.
Vincenzina was superb in the Seymour Evolution Final 25/01/2020. She came from last to win in a slick 1.51.8 - courtesy Trotguide.com.au.
Stepping up to 2300m at her next run the filly tended to over race before finishing third to Dr. Susan and Keep Rockin in a 3YO Fillies race. In finishing fourth to Maajida in a heat of the NSW Oaks a week later, she was hindered by a couple of slow quarters in the middle stages, and a blistering final split of 26.5. The overall time was the slowest of the three heats, eliminating Vincenzina from the Final.
Three weeks later Ross and Vincenzina made the long trek to the South Western Slopes for the $20,000 Young Oaks in search of consolation for the Menangle disappointment. The hot favourite Jenden Strike led after the bell with Vincenzina perfectly poised in the 1x1 spot, but she lost momentum when Gee Gee Blinx left the pegs abruptly in the back straight.
Despite this hiccup the filly launched with her customary dash, and despite not making the corner generously she joined the leader on straightening, but was up to her old tricks again. She “switched off” enabling Jenden Strike to kick back and win with the others a long way behind them. Breeding buffs were intrigued to see two Betterthancheddar fillies fighting out the Young Oaks.
Vincenzina was destined to have three more runs in the preparation, and all three highlighted her sensational turn of foot. She stormed home from the 1x1 to beat Michelle Lee Mac in the Bathurst Gold Bracelet heat, while her second placing in the Final is arguably her best run to date. Disadvantaged by a second row draw, Vincenzina was second last at the bell, and was conceding the leader Dr. Susan at least 15 metres at the 400m. She reeled off a sub 27sec quarter to go under by only four metres.
She went close to closing her three year old career on a winning note when beaten a nose by Our Antonio Rose in the time honoured Golden Easter Egg at Menangle in April. “She had them covered but wanted to call it quits after levelling up,” said Ross. “When the winner headed her she lunged again and was probably in front a stride past the post. It’s very frustrating.”
What a wonderful fillip Vincenzina has provided for the career of a man who’s been active in the sport for fifty four years. Now in his sixty ninth year, Ross Adams was just fifteen when he started work alongside his high profile father Merv Adams.
Unlike his son, Merv Adams was a late starter in the harness sport having spent much of his youth heavily involved in horse breaking, show jumping and the training of greyhounds. When he settled into the role of full time harness trainer he quickly established himself among an elite group of Sydney horsemen. Perhaps the finest tribute to his talents is the fact that he finished second in two Inter Dominion Grand Finals - firstly with Mineral Spring who beat all but Gentleman John at Harold Park in 1956, and later with Lew’s Hope who chased home James Scott at Gloucester Park in 1962.
Merv Adams and Mineral Spring were great favourites with the Harold Park fans in the days when huge crowds flocked to the iconic Glebe circuit. Interesting to note that Mineral Spring won the first race ever staged out of the mobile starting gate at Harold Park, with Merv in the sulky. The celebrated horseman also prepared the prolific winner Deep Tan and was one of three trainers to prepare the great mare Sibelia during her career.
The late Merv Adams was a major player in the golden years at Harold Park. He was a familiar sight on race night in his yellow and purple silks - courtesy Trotguide.com.au.
Those famous horses had long left the scene when young Ross Adams decided to forge a career in harness racing alongside his father. Young Adams was only seventeen years old when he drove his first winner - a pacer called Spiderweb at Bankstown in 1968. “I only got the drive because Dad preferred to drive the stablemate Balloch,” he said. “It was a wet night and Balloch slipped in the going as he jumped away losing all chance. I flew through from the back mark and landed in the 1x1. We probably won that one by default.”
Surprisingly Merv didn’t prepare his son’s first Harold Park winner. The late Herb Young put Ross on Dancing Chamfer on a Friday night in the 1970’s and the youngster obliged with a perfect drive. Ross handled the bulk of the stable driving in the latter years of his father’s training career and won a swag of races on horses like Major Frost, Deep Flow, Cream Beauty, Nice And Easy, Not Before Time, Honkin Del, Dylan and Powder And Shot.
Ross and Deep Flow after a Harold Park win 1973 - courtesy Trotguide.com.au.
Gizelle’s Raider was the only horse Ross trained himself from his father’s property. “The owner wanted me to train the horse and Dad was happy to let me stable there,” he said. “He was a handy little horse and won a few races at Harold Park." When Merv gradually eased himself out of the training business in the late 1980’s, Ross relocated to the six acre property at Londonderry from which he continues to train to this day.
He isn’t the only member of the family to inherit the trotting genes. Scott Adams has never been as heavily involved as his older brother, but has trained and driven many winners in his own right. The brothers enjoyed a successful association some years ago with the talented Flite Dynasty - Ross as trainer and Scott as owner and driver. The gelding raced 47 times for 15 wins, 8 placings and $183,000 with his career highlight being a NSW Sires Stakes Final at Harold Park in 2007. One of his best performances was a second to Tanabi Bromac in the 2008 Victoria Derby Final at Moonee Valley.
Scott’s daughter Seryn actually worked for her uncle Ross after leaving school and drove a few winners during that period. She later tried her hand in racing media and showed talent in front of the camera and behind the scenes. I can vouch for the fact that Seryn did some excellent work as the producer of the long running In The Gig programme a few years ago. She now lives at Young and is doing a sterling job with her 16 months old son Harrison. Country spies tell me she’s been working a horse in recent times and might make a return to race driving down the track.
There’s little doubt Yvonne Adams gets the lion’s share of the credit for her husband’s longevity in the sport. She’s a tireless worker around the stables, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better strapper at the races. Married for forty four years, Ross and Yvonne are the proud parents of two sons Dean (40) and Grant (36). Dean has chosen to work away from harness racing while Grant holds down the important role of Chairman Of Stewards for Harness Racing NSW.
The husband and wife team have won many races from their Londonderry property with a number of handy horses. High on the list are Russley Emperor, Miss Flite, the aforementioned Flite Dynasty and talented trotters Red Samurai and Ten Commanders.
Another Harold Park win for Ross with Powder And Shot 1982 - courtesy Trotguide.com.au.
Ross Adams is an old world horseman in every sense of the phrase. He’s a very capable farrier, he handles all of his own horse dentistry and can perform many duties that would send other trainers scurrying to find the vet’s phone number. He’s patient, composed and very quiet around horses. He can usually come to terms with the most obstinate of animals. His reputation for fair play is legendary.
Ross Adams respects the industry and the industry respects him.
A nostalgic snap from the archives! The Adams Family at Harold Park in 1986. Ross and Scott with their late parents Amy and Merv - courtesy Trotguide.com.au.
(Banner image - Vincenzina is airborne as she wins the Seymour Evolution heat at Menangle in 1.53.4 - courtesy Trotguide.com.au.)