Youthful Jack secures Tassie Triple Crown 23 / 02 / 2012

GALLANT sprinter-miler Youthful Jack captured the Triple Crown of Tasmania’s feature weight-for-age races when he powered his way to victory in the $100,000 Tatts Group George Adams Plate over 1600 metres in Launceston last night.

The six-year-old was sent to Tasmania but his owners, Taree trainer Ross Stitt and part-owner Geoff Sheedy, for a three-race campaign for which he was to be prepared by up and coming young Spreyton trainer Adam Trinder.

It was a brilliant way to end his Tasmanian campaign.

The gelding, with Robert Thompson aboard, settled midfield from a mid-field draw and travelled comfortably to the 700-metre mark where his rider eased out three-wide to improve.

Youthful Jack joined the leaders on the home turn and when Thompson hit the go button the gelding burst clear and went on to defeat Life To The Full by over two lengths with Impulsive Dream a close-up third.

Last night’s win gave the gelding a clean sweep of the three weight-for-age races during the AAMI Tasmanian Summer racing Carnival and confirmed the horse was back to his best following a throat operation that threatened to end his racing career over two years ago.

Stitt prepared Youthful Jack throughout his early racing career and the gelding performed well at two and three but two seasons back he developed a throat problem that required an operation and at one stage during the convalescence period connections feared he may never race again.

The gelding resumed racing late last year and after he won a race at Wyong Stitt started to made plans to send the gelding to Tasmania for the carnival.

Stitt’s decision to send the horse to Trinder and leave him in his care for the duration of his Tasmanian campaign was a telling factor.

Listen to what trainer Adam Trinder had to say about Youthful Jack’s latest win – click on the audio file below.