Selwyn_Times: June 21, 2023

Wednesday June 21 2023 Selwyn Times
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
SPORT/RACING 29
Team switch pays off for young driver
• By Daniel Alvey
NEW RIDE: Lincoln motor racing driver Jacob Douglas has clocked up his first podium win for Pabst Racing after switching
teams part way through the USF2000 season.
PHOTOS: PABST RACING
A MID-SEASON team switch
for promising young motor
racing driver Jacob Douglas is
already reaping the rewards.
The 17-year-old, from Lincoln,
got his second podium for the
season at the weekend in his
first outing for new team Pabst
Racing.
Douglas is in his second
season of USF2000 in the United
States, a feeder category to
IndyCar.
For the first seven races of the
18-race season, Douglas was
with Exclusive Autosport, a team
he has been with since going to
the US two years ago.
He would not say why he had
switched teams, but his results
for Exclusive Autosport had been
less than expected this season.
Douglas was on track in
Wisconsin at Road America over
the weekend where he placed P2
behind his new teammate Simon
Sikes in race one and P6 in race
two.
Owned by former racer Augie
Pabst, Pabst Racing won their
fourth USF2000 Team Championship
last year, with the first
three coming consecutively
between 2017 and 2019.
After the first seven races,
Douglas was P7 in the standings.
Shifting teams meant he missed
race eight and dropped to 13th,
but is now P10 after the weekend’s
races.
“We were P7 before the round
we missed. That was hard. I
think we can claw our way back
with the new team,” Douglas
said.
At the start of the season,
he had hoped to be a major
contender for the championship
after winning the YACademy
Winter Series, but due to some
bad luck and mechanical failures,
Douglas wasn’t as far up
the standings as he’d like to have
been, with only one podium
result in Sebring in March prior
to the weekend.
“Even before in P7 we definitely
wanted to be higher than that,
we had quite a bit of bad luck
and could catch a break, really.
“Being realistic we are out of
contention for the win now.”
Going into the weekend,
Douglas said there had been no
set expectations on a finishing
result. He said it was going to be
tough going in with a new team.
“I think the tone for the rest of
the season is we want to go out
there and get podiums, win races
and just do the best we can.”
Bella Button keeps up
her succesful form
• By Dave Di Somma
WHEN IT comes to winning
races this year Bella Button is in
royal company.
She made it six wins in 2023
after another finely-judged
drive by Gemma Thornley in
the Hydroflow Distributors Ltd
Handicap Trot at Addington on
Friday night.
That makes her the equal most
successful horse in this country
this year wins-wise with two
others, none other than the
unbeaten Millwood Nike and
superstar trotter Muscle Mountain.
Millwood Nike has won six
from six this year and 14 from 14
overall, while Muscle Mountain
has won six races from just seven
starts, with his sole defeat coming
in the Rowe Cup when he
broke at the start and gave the
field a huge start.
“When we got her we thought
we’d maybe get one or two wins
from her,” said Burnham-based
trainer Mark Jones, “so she has
definitely surprised us . . . and we
are rapt.”
Bella Button has won six from
11 starts for Jones this year. He
purchased her in March after
original trainer Scott Lethaby
told him she had ability but was
battling with tie-up and not living
up to her full potential.
Said Jones: “We are a bit unorthodox
but we sorted out her
issues. We fast work her every
day, so seven days a week, and it’s
definitely worked. She feels great
FIRST: Bella Button’s win at Addington on Friday is her
sixth win this year, making her the equal most successful
horse in the country in 2023 wins-wise.
and her muscles aren’t sore and
you can see the results.”
When Bella Button arrived at
his Burnham barn she had one
win from 32 starts; now she has
seven wins from 46.
Thornley was placed three
back the markers on Friday but
managed to extricate herself
from a potentially tricky position
and then powered home to
win by nearly two lengths, from
Madeleine Stowe and Make My
Sundon.
Despite her winning record
this year Bella Button still paid
$11.20 and $3.20 for the win.
The victory took her past
$50,000 in stakes earnings this
year. She has now won $57,345 in
2023, and $73,079 overall.
It also continued the very good
association Bella Button has with
Thornley.
She has 22 wins this year and
has won five times with Bella
Button, with Jones being successful
in her first start for the stable
at Timaru on March 15.
Bella Button will keep racing
over the winter. Ultimately she
will either be sold, or sent to the
broodmare paddock.
– Harness News Desk
500th win for Davis
• By Mike Love
PETER DAVIS achieved his
500th driving win at Addington
Raceway on Sunday when Kink
won race 4, the Belfast Vet
Clinic Handicap Trot, and then
wasted no time in adding to his
lifetime total.
“It was good. After driving the
first winner you’d never expect
you’d go on to drive 500,” the
Rolleston-based driver said.
Kink, a four-year-old Love
You gelding, raced without
cover for the majority of the
race, before running into the
lead from the 700m, holding off
all challenges to win by half a
neck.
“He raced well in a better race
last week. It was a gutsy run today.
He’s been a revelation. He’s
just got better and better.”
It did not take long for Davis
to pick up his 501st driving win
when Loch Lomond won race 6,
the Dream It National Mobile
Pace.
Loch Lomond, a Rock N Roll
Heaven three-year-old, raced
parked throughout, calling on
all his reserves at the business
end to win by three quarters of
a length.
“He’s been a frustrating horse.
But today he went like he works
at home. He didn’t have much
luck but showed his guts.”
Loch Lomond’s win made it
a double on the card for trainer,
and Davis’ partner, Margo
Nyhan.
Davis drove his first winner in
1978 for the late Henry Skinner
trained Errol’s Lass at Gore.
Davis says Real Force winning
the 1990 Interdominion Trotters
Grand Final at Addington Raceway
has been the pinnacle of his
driving career so far.
“Winning the inter-dominion
was pretty memorable. But
every win is all good!
“All we try to do is go out
there and drive each horse to
the best of your ability.
“The bottom line is you are
appreciative of every opportunity
you’ve been given by owners
and trainers.”
Davis to date has driven
501 winners, with total stake
earnings of more than $4
million.
– Harness News Desk