Aggressive tactics pay off for van Rijn at WDC

By Jonny Turner

Wie niet waagt, die niet wint – who doesn’t dare, doesn’t win.

Reinsman Jaap van Rijn put the Dutch proverb into action when winning three of four heats when the World Driving Championship came to Winton on Sunday.

Van Rijn chanced his arm in all four series heats by pushing forward early with each of his drives.

Those tactics proved pinpoint as the star reinsman put all of his charges either in the trail, the lead, or in the one-one.

Outstanding results followed as van Rijn scored with Shezza Vinny, Jordan Anne, and Mouton Cadet, with his only miss being a creditable fifth with outsider of the field Haley Robyn.

Mouton Cadet completed van Rijn’s hat-trick when dashing along the inner to score, prompting the Dutch flag to fly proudly in the Winton birdcage for the third time on Sunday.

“It was a very nice day, the trainers told me before the races that the horses were in good shape and it was up to me to give them a good trip, and everything worked out perfectly.”

Van Rijn didn’t have much luck earlier in the World Driving Championship and came into the Winton heats in eighth place.

By the time he finished his masterclass in the sulky at Central Southland Raceway, he was in third position behind Canadian James MacDonald and Australian representative Gary Hall Jnr.

Van Rijn was immediately in winning form when linking up with Shezza Vinny in Sunday’s first heat.

The mare scored a deserved win for trainer Matt Brinsdon, who earlier took out a heat of the series with Always A Menace at Addington on Friday night.

Though driving a pacer in a mile race isn’t something van Rijn does at home, he proved to be the winning ingredient when Shezza Vinny capped a run of recent placings. 

“At home we race on half-mile (800m) or 1000m tracks,” van Rijn said.

“It was a nice opportunity on a nice horse, we got a nice trip and she finished nice for me.”

French representative Pierre Vercruysse was the only other contender in winning form at Winton.

The reinsman scored with the 10-year-old veteran pacer Airwaves, who dashed along the inner to score for trainer Craig Laurenson.

With trotting the only harness racing gait in France, Vercruysse hadn’t linked up with a 10-year-old pacer for decades.

“It would go back to the 1980s when I was racing in New Jersey.” Vercruysse said. 

“The trainer, the owner, and the caretaker are very nice people, and I was extremely touched by the win.”

Despite being unable to clinch a win at Winton, James MacDonald maintained his lead in the World Championship going into its final heat on New Zealand Cup Day.

Though he missed out on a victory, there were no complaints from the Canadian, who was pleased with his Winton results.

“It is better than chasing - I will take being on top, even if it is a slender lead, any day,” MacDonald said. 

Any placing better than last and the Canadian will clinch victory in the final and 20th heat on new Zealand Cup day at Addington tomorrow.