Two Aussie slot horses fly in on Sunday

The Janitor (Always B Miki) and Gus, (Majestic Son) two Australian runners in the slot races to be held at Cambridge early next month, will fly into Auckland on Sunday.

Both are trained by Brisbane horsewoman Chantal Turpin and will have the opportunity to get a feel for the Cambridge circuit next Thursday when The Janitor will race in the $60,000 G2 Waikato Pacers Flying Mile and Gus in the G2 $60,000 Waikato Trotters Mile.

“The mile probably isn’t suitable for The Janitor, but we want to take him there and give him a run on the track first (before the slot race). Obviously the longer distance is going to be better for him and it’s much the same for Gus,” Turpin said.

Both horses are Southern Bred Southern Reared.

The Janitor was bred by the late Lester Smith and is out of Badlands Hanover mare Weka Lass which won six races for Smith and Southland trainer Wayne Adams.

The gelding which was owned by Chiefs Rugby players Michael Allardice and Brad Weber, qualified in November 2023 for Winton trainer Lauren Pearson as a two year old before he was sold to Australia.

“He was very green and it took a lot of patience and a lot of time for him to get his mojo together but he’s starting to do it. He’s always had the ability but he was very goofy gaited and did a lot of things wrong early on.”

Since being in Australia he’s won eighteen of his thirty two starts, for $486,577.

“We still don’t try and push him early. We just let him find his groove and let him do his work at the finish.”

The Janitor has also run second in the Miracle Mile and Rising Sun and third in the Blacks A Fake. Turpin says a mid gate draw suits the five year old.

“Obviously he doesn’t have a lot of gate speed so if he draws one he gets back on the fence.

Gus was bred by Southland trainer Nathan Williamson.

He’s out of the Monarchy mare Kylie Ree who won four of her eleven starts including the Group One Two Year Old Ruby.

Gus had two starts in New Zealand for Williamson, winning at the Wairio meeting in March 2023 before being sold to clients of Chantal Turpin’s Brisbane stable.

“He was doing a lot of things wrong when he came over. He got thrown into the deep end here with the rating system. On his fourteenth start he was racing in the Interdominions. The rating system crucified him when he came over. It was just another patience game, waiting for him to put it all together. Touch wood he’s been really good lately. He’s been taken off the OD (unruly).”

He’s won twenty races and earned $521,815. His two biggest wins were last year when Turpin brought him to New Zealand Cup week and he won the G1 $400,000 Renwick Farms Dominion and the G1 $100,000 AZAP Electrical New Zealand Trotting FFA.

“He’d run fourth in the Interdominion series in July, stuck with the big boys and was still doing a few things wrong. We thought we’d give him a shot, we brought him over to New Zealand and it was an unbelievable result.”

Turpin says The Janitor and Gus will head home straight after the slot race.

“We’ll bring them home, give them two weeks off and get them ready for the Interdominion series, which is at home.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink