Greg Rogers a story of harness racing commitment

Harness racing is always showing up with feelgood stories and when veteran Adelaide driver Greg Rogers landed a double at Globe Derby on Saturday night no one would have begrudged him the moment of achievement.

Greg has been an institution in Adelaide since he and his wife Rhonda moved over from WerrimulL in the Millewa region where he had been based as a successful trainer driver learning the ropes from his father Jack. As a younger horseman from his teenage years Greg achieved success with Weowna Robbie amongst others regularly fronting the Mildura circuit.

On Saturday night Greg steered Feng Shui Star (For A Reason) to an impressive win in the Kingsford Hotel Pace.

Sitting three back on the rails Feng Shui Star was running along without any expectation three back on the rails. When he obtained a run on leaving the back straight he whizzed through and cleared away to defeat Star Man and Clarenden Legacy.

FENG SHUI STAR 3O MAY REPLAY

Rogers stated

I didn’t even know I was driving him until the night. I’ve know David and Ingrid Smith ever since I arrived over in Adelaide. I had driven for the owners just after Christmas. Dave and Ingrid had a trotter and I ran second. They do a fantastic job. So On the night Ingrid said you’re driving in the next race.

He’s got no gate speed. I thought it better to keep up three back and that would be just as good as anywhere else in the race. There’s always a chance for you to get out. I got to the 400 metres mark and popped him out, he doesn’t try very hard. But he was still travelling well I never let him on the bit. I kept the plugs in while he was travelling and he went to the line on the bit.

He was 60 class horse in Mildura when he came here. With handicapping he’s back to a 46. It suits him as he loses points and drops back in the scale.

Jawsofgoodtime (Soho Tribeca) who was the next leg of his double is raced by his cousin Ross Collins a cousin.

Ross’s grandfather was my grandfather Ken’s brother.

Ross moved to Adelaide in 1998 from Broken Hill so I’ve known him well.

He’s wanted me to drive for him on Monday race meetings but that’s difficult at times because I work. He always wants to have same driver.

He bought this mare for $2000 as a going two year old. And she won a Heat of the Southern Cross.

She’s got brilliant gate speed. She led on her ear. At the 500 metre mark I was travelling easily and saw that the favourite was struggling.

We’ll pick out races and look after her.

Back at his property at Two Wells Greg can only train 3 horses in the winter as its much better in summer when there’s more daylight.

JAWSOFGOODTIME 30 MAY REPLAY

Having trained some 800 winners Greg maintains some fond memories and probably none more so than his grand performer Weowna Kenny who won some 60 races including an incredible 41 races at Globe Derby which still stands as a record that is unlikely to be broken. Greg also trained the star trotting mare Kitsalano who unfortunately broke down. She won the Southern Cross as a two year old and won a Victor Harbour Cup.

We also had Black Venom, he bought him for $3,000 and he won 15 races for us after we turned him from a pacer to a trotter.

Greg’s winning double was especially poignant given that wife Rhonda faced a number of issues when diagnosed with cancer several years ago. In that period Greg has been there for Rhonda giving her every support and today Rhonda is virtually now almost fully recovered. But Rhonda’s brave campaign in going public has won her praise. It’s especially significant that in this Pacing For Pink month that Greg and Rhonda have been sponsored by Megan Gee and her tireless generosity.

Greg hopes that their mare Weowna Segreta maybe their next pacer to win races. She’s had a lot of ability and her great grand dam Weowna De Oro has been a prolific producer. She’s been sore and we had to turn her out but she’s about to come back.

 

By Tony Milanese for Harnesslink