Champion reinsman Chris Lewis said “the win made his day". He was talking about the persistence shown by hobby harness racing trainer Bryce Jancey, who trained his first winner at Gloucester Park early in February when Greenngold saluted.
The Oakford-based trainer, who owns Greenngold with his wife, Christine, had been trying to win a race at headquarters for more than 18 years.
And Lewis summed the occasion up perfectly when he said “it’s moments like these (when you win a race for a battling hobby trainer) that make it all worthwhile”.
The Janceys would be the first to agree with Lewis.
“Chris is a master,” Jancey said after the race.
“He drove Greenngold perfectly … he gave him the run of the race and timed his run to perfection. He was so cool.”
The victory, apart from the $10,881 winner’s cheque, meant everything for the couple who have been married for 45 years.
“Both Christine and me had a year to forget in 2017,” Jancey said.
Sixty-six-year-old Bryce was diagnosed with prostate cancer and Christine, 64, had open heart surgery.
“We’re both coming good now but we were happy to welcome in the New Year and say goodbye to 2017. This win just tops things off for us,” he said.
“It’s a great tonic. We both got pretty excited and emotional when Greenngold hit the front in the home straight.
“I reckon they would have heard us over at the casino … the way we were screaming.”
The Janceys used the last of their savings to buy Greenngold for $20,000 last October from Bathurst trainer Amanda Turnbull.
Greenngold is well named, being out of broodmare The Baggy Green, and he broke a duck of his own when he defeated Hot Fraternity and Good Times Ahead at GP on February 2.
It was not only the four-year-old gelding’s first win for the Janceys, but the horse’s first win in more than a year.
His last success came at Parkes in January 2017 when he led all the way to win The Elvis Final over 2040m. That was the Greenngold’s sixth win in a row, but he seemed to lose all form after that victory.
Jancey has always been around horses – what with being the president of the Orange Grove Pony Club when the couple’s three children were growing up – and was a fan of the great Mount Eden when he was in his teens.
He’s been involved as a trainer for more than 18 years and has had limited success in the country with horses such as Crouchdown, Sergeant Roy, Ruthless Impression, El Slick, Ya Dreamin and Nivea Joe.
But Greenngold’s victory at headquarters was the icing on the cake for the Janceys.
“It was fantastic to finally get that city winner,” he said.
“I honestly thought it would never happen.
“And Greenngold has a strut about him too since his win.
“He’s a different horse after that race … he knows he’s won.”
Jancey was right about Greenngold being a different horse after his breakthrough win at headquarters.
The Janceys started Greenngold in a stand at Northam on Saturday, February 17 with Kiara Davies in the cart and the horse made it back-to back victories when he finished with a new-found determination to win running away from his opposition.
Greenngold, like his win at GP, was virtually unwanted in the market and came home at the juicy odds of 12/1 and added another $4163 to his owners’ account.
The Janceys haven’t been able to wipe the smiles off their faces since Greenngold’s latest win and are happily planning his next run in the hope that he can bring up a hat-trick of victories.
Wayne Currall