Winning my second cup in a week is an amazing feeling
- Trainer-driver Mark Yole
A horse that had been in his stable for only two weeks completed a memorable double for young Carrick trainer-driver Mark Yole in Sunday night’s $30,000 Devonport Cup.
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Riverboat Jasper came off a 10-metre handicap to score a comfortable 5m win over outsider Bayridge Bill with Roger Ramjet a nose away third.
Yole also won the Burnie Cup seven days earlier with Hez The One, a horse that he bought in Adelaide and had been in his stable for less than a month.
Riverboat Jasper only joined the small Yole team after finishing unplaced in the Hobart Pacing Cup on January 7.
“I took him down to Hobart for that race for his owner-trainer Wayne Campbell who doesn’t like to make the long trip from Scottsdale,” Yole explained.
“The horse didn’t run badly but had a good blow after the race which told me he was a run under-done.
“The next day Wayne asked me if I’d like to take over the training for a while.
“I’d been pestering him about it for three months and he finally relented.
”I’m extremely grateful he gave me the opportunity.
“Winning my second cup in a week is an amazing feeling.”
Yole has built his name in harness racing as a reinsman and won the state drivers’ premiership in 2015-16 with 85 wins.
He started training about a year ago and was able to start building his numbers after moving into Carrick stables three months ago.
He now has six horses in work.
“Training has its ups and downs and can be a bit lonely at times,” Yole said.
“You have to make a lot of sacrifices.
“I go to a lot of trouble to have my horses and their gear looking spot on.”
Yole said he went into the Devonport Cup with a lot of confidence.
“This horse has won an Easter Cup (in 2016) and I thought he was the supreme stayer in the field,” the driver said.
“I just had to drive him to suit the track, making sure I didn’t press the button too early.”
Yole said he wasn’t sure of the owners’ future plans for Riverboat Jasper.
“But he’ll head to the Easter Cup again I guess.”
Riverboat Jasper started at $7.80 after as much as $21 was bet in early fixed-odds markets.
Runner-up Bayridge Bill eased from $21 to $31 while third placegetter Roger Ramjet was very solid in the betting at $8.60.
Black Centurian, who ran fourth after leading, was backed from $8.50 to $5.80.
Dapper Dana, the $4.80 favourite, ran fifth after getting stuck in an awkward position and being held up for a run.
Queens Advocate ($7.50) did well to finish sixth after missing the start.
