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Double delight for a rising racing force

 

After 18 months of hard work, and no shortage of frustration, the training partnership of John Symons and Sheila Laxon is beginning to gain momentum. Having officially joined forces under the banner of JSL Racing P/L on August 1^st John and Sheila have prepared a string of recent winners’ and the couple were rewarded with their first winning double at the Wangaratta Turf Club’s “Legends Day” meeting last Sunday.

 

Command Du Borg’s 2-3/4-length victory in the 1400m Maurie Gray Maiden plate was followed by a dominant performance from Admiral’s Lady in the Lionel Finnemore Class 1 Handicap 1600m. Admiral’s Lady, a five-year-old mare by Danehill, scored 1-3/4-lengths from the John Ledger trained Bold Bid, with Wamoon’s Daughter five lengths further back in third place. Command Du Borg was sent out a $2.50 favourite on the strength of her two placings from only four starts, and was the first leg of a double for the stable’s number one jockey, Jamie Anstice.

 

John and Sheila have launched JSL Racing from a 40 hectare property at Whitehead’s Creek, just seven kilometres from the Seymour racecourse, and they are well satisfied with the decision. It’s a very good location from which to train and we can reach several racetracks within an hour and a half, and we can get to Moonee Valley or Flemington in about seventy minutes, they said.

 

Central to the operation’s success is a 2300m training track, which incorporates an 800m incline for uphill gallops, while JSL’s horses all benefit from access to 17 safety-fenced day yards and 12 paddocks. It hasn’t always been easy, particularly in the early days, but we’re still building and going ahead all the time – we’ve just finished a pool for the horses to swim in for example, said John.

 

The 800m uphill track

The JSL stable complex can accommodate 75 horses, but John feels more comfortable with a maximum of 40 in work at the one time. We’ve had as many as 50 in work a couple of times, but have now trimmed down to around 35 to 40 horses and that seems to work best for us.

 

The magnificent JSL stables 

It appears, however, that no one is immune to the vagaries of racing. A recent injury has hastened the retirement of John’s grand mare, Infinite Grace, a seven time winner and career earner of almost $850.000 in prize-money, while the stable’s rising star, Zupaone, will also now have an enforced layoff. Zupaone finished fourth behind Miss Finland and Haradasun in the McNeil Stakes before sustaining an injury at his next start, but John also a part owner of the promising Flying Spur colt, was phlegmatic about the setback. It’s disappointing because I think Zupaone could be as good as any three year old in Australia, he said.

 

John with Infinite Grace  

Despite the misfortune, John and sheila continue to look ahead. We’re really looking forward to the next 12 months, they said. We have a number of nice two and three year olds. Sheila is looking after a lovely Carnegie filly out of Northwood Plume (VRC Oaks) and thinks she has a lot of promise.

 

JSL Also benefits from the backing of a diverse group of owners, including Arrowfield Stud and media man Gary Gray and Bryan Martin.” We’re a specialist training operation with the goal of improving our team. Both Sheila and I are upfront with our owners, which is better for everyone in the long term,” said John.

 

John and Sheila between them have trained the winners of eight Group 1 events (Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, The BMW, Blue Diamond Stakes, Doomben 10.000, Queensland Oaks, NZ Oaks, MRC 1000 Guineas), and with their combined experience and the superb facilities at hand, JSL Racing is sure to make its mark on the Australian racing scene sooner than later.