Jagger adored at Addington

“I’m just bloody proud of her and so thrilled for the owners. They put a lot in and have been so loyal right throughout by career. I’m just thrilled for them,” an emotional trainer driver Kirstin Green said after Just Like Jagger (Vincent) won the inaugural $75,000 G2 Adore Me Mobile Pace at Addington today.

The running of the race changed dramatically when second favourite Stella Rouge from barrier one galloped in the score up and wouldn’t settle, so Green drove Just Like Jagger hard out of the gate.

“I hadn’t actually planned to drive her like that today but when Stella Rouge didn’t score up you have to change tactics sometimes. I knew she can stay and she thrived at Addington for some reason so we took it to them (laughter).”

In front Just Like Jagger dictated the speed and inside the 1000 metres when favourite Arafura came around the outside Green noticeably sharpened the pace.

“If I’d handed to her and let her have it I couldn’t have come off her back so I had to make her work.”

JUST LIKE JAGGER REPLAY

At the line the Southland mare had a necks advantage over a brave Arafura with Chicago Sky a nose back in third.

The time of 2-20.4 was just outside Amazing Dream’s New Zealand record 2-20.3

Going into today’s G2 Just Like Jagger had the lowest stakes earnings but her form around some of the country’s better mares has been solid.

“You come up here from Southland and it can be hard work sometimes. It’s an eight hour drive. It just means everything. We’ll fly home.”

Today’s winning stakes lifted the mare’s earnings to over the $100,000 mark and the win was her sixth.

Green’s career highlight came on this course in February 2021 when she won the Group One New Zealand Breeders Stakes with Watch Me Now, beating Amazing Dream by a head.

Just Like Jagger is out of a half-sister to Watch Me Now in Machjagger and is owned by the Rolling Stones Syndicate which is managed by Roger Forde.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink