Bonza day for Feiss

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk

Jean Feiss had one of her biggest days in racing at Addington Raceway on Tuesday but unfortunately she wasn’t able to be on track to enjoy it.

The well-known owner and respected yearling selector recorded two Group One victories courtesy of Amazing Dream and Self Assured, and she also recorded a Group One placing with Aladdin.

The Victorian-based harness racing enthusiast couldn’t make it to Christchurch this year as a result of COVID-19 enforced travel restrictions, but she said she still cheered home her horses with the same vigor 2400km away.

“I was jumping up and down and yelling at the TV,” she said.

Amazing Dream kicked off the day in perfect fashion when winning the Gr.1 Nevele R Fillies Series Final after sitting three and four wide for the majority of the 1980m trip.

Feiss was elated with the victory but admitted she thought the mare had done too much work throughout to feature in the finish.

“I just didn’t think she could do it,” Feiss said. “I know she is pretty good but I didn’t think she would be able to claw the other horse (Need You Now) back.

“She was three wide from the start, and then four wide, and they were really motoring along. But she is a determined thing, she loves to win.

“There are two things she loves in life and that is eating and racing. She does both of those very well.”

Feiss purchased Amazing Dream for $77,500 as a yearling and she has so far won six Group One races and more than $650,000 in prizemoney.

“She was a nice enough yearling and I did race her brother a few years before that, Chase The Dream. She wasn’t a big yearling, but a nice, tidy, little horse.”

While Feiss was exuberant about the win and then placing in the Gr.1 Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes Final (1980m) four races later with Aladdin, her highlight of the day was yet to come.

Feiss was anxious ahead of the Gr.1 IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup (3200m) with her runner Self Assured because of his erratic standing start manners, but in the end she needn’t have worried.

The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen-trained gelding began well and took an early trail behind stablemate Ashley Locaz. Purdon then pushed Self Assured forward to regain the lead before once again handing up to another stablemate in Spankem.

The son of Bettor’s Delight took advantage of the passing lane and ran away to a comfortable 3-1/2 length victory over stablemate Spankem, with Ashley Locaz closing out a stable trifecta for the Purdon/Rasmussen barn.

“He has got so much talent and he was just letting himself down those last few starts,” Feiss said.

“I am glad that he stepped and he could get in the race. Once he stepped, I thought even if he doesn’t do any good he has had every chance.

“He just sailed away and was very exciting.

“Mark put a lot of work into him to try and get him to go away. He gave him a few stands at home and he didn’t go away and then apparently his last two attempts he went away.

“But he was a 50/50 chance of stepping away today (Tuesday).”

Self Assured was another yearling purchase of Feiss’ and she said she was taken by him from the start.

“He was a lovely yearling and I liked the breeding,” she said.

Feiss has had a lot of success purchasing and racing standardbreds in New Zealand, and it is something she intends to continue.

“The racing is great and the people are so passionate about racing in New Zealand,” she said.

“There’s an atmosphere and the thrill of it. I love racing over there.