Kenny and Jo Baynes are having a great season with horses they own either together or in partnership – winning a fair few races, mainly in the trotting gait.
Today(Saturday) at Ascot Park in the Arden Lodge Robin Dundee Crown their two runners quinellaed the race with Christian Cullen mare Especial beating Envious her half-sister.
Especial is trained by Tony Stratford at Gore while Envious is trained by Jo.
Both are out of the Falcon Seelster mare Especial Franco.
“I’d tried to buy some of the mare's progeny but missed out so I bought the mare,” said Kenny.
Baynes says as a broodmare Especial Franco has left lots of winners including Elation Franco (8 wins), Equalizer (11 wins), Expressionist (24 New Zealand and Australian wins), and her two local mares Envious (5 wins) and Especial (3 wins).
Note: Expressionist won his 24th race at Menangle on Saturday night.
The mare was tragically lost just before Christmas when she was foaling A Rocknroll Dance colt. Both she and the foal died.
“We’ve got a full sister at home to Envious. She’s a two year old but we’re not going to push her.”
Especial and Dexter Dunn winning from her stablemate Envious – Photo Bruce Stewart.
Both Envious and Especial were having their first starts this season and Kenny was quick to hand the credit to their trainers.
“She’s (Especial) got a huge amount of talent and jogged it. It was a teriffic run from Envious too. She started from gate six and crossed and took the lead. It was a great training effort from Tony with Especial and Jo who works with him with Envious at the Gore track.”
Judy and John Stiven from Arden Lodge with Jo and Kenny Baynes – Photo Bruce Stewart.
Baynes says as both mares raced well into the winter last season, they were late in coming back into work but that strategy also had another side to it.
“We’ve kept them until later in the season so we didn’t have trouble over the summer with seasonal issues. We couldn’t be bothered with that so that’s why we’ve left them until a wee bit later.”
Baynes was unsure of where the two mares will go next but there looks to be a bit of travel and fun ahead.
“If they’re in form you just push on. Tony rates Especial. You always know when she goes to the front and pins her ears forward that the rest of them are going to be in a power of shit. She’s just got a big motor but she just doesn’t know it. She’s only had six starts.”
For most of us looking on, Envious looked to be well above herself. The Crash Crew were unable to get one of her ear plugs in but that didn't bother Baynes.
“When Envious is doing that you just know she ready to go. She’s like Jo’s new car. She’s got a new Mustang that wants to eat track,” he said with plenty of Baynes gusto.
In today's mares feature Envious lead early before her stablemate took over with a lap to run. Especial held on to beat Envious by three quarters of a length with Tara Tutaia charging home late for third.
Bruce Stewart
Southland Harness Racing
Especial winning at Ascot Park