Jorja, the Duke and Jagger star at Addington on Show Day

By Michael Guerin

Trainer Bronson Munro and Jorja picked the perfect time to break their maidens at Addington on Friday.

Because the trainer got his first Group 1 and the filly her first career win in the $200,000 Dunstan Sires’ Stakes Final and did it the hard way.

Jorja sat parked outside second favourite I’m The Boss with favourite Belle Biddy on her back in the one-one for the last lap so had two ways to be beaten but she showed enormous heart for Kimberly Butt.

While Jorja went into the race a maiden she was a pretty darn good one with serious placings in all three career starts but even with an army of fans few would expected that level of performance.

For Munro it wasn’t only his first Group 1 training success but the first time he had had Group 1 starters and it would have been a popular win in the Addington stabling complex.

Not just because of Butt and Munro but Jorja is owned by the stable’s long-time supporter and harness racing stalwart John McDermott.

“They have been great supporters of mine and that makes this even more special,” said Munro.

“She is a very good filly and she had to be to win that like that.”

Jorja is a daughter of Lazarus from McDermott’s former good mare Flyover, who won 10 races but ironically never raced as a two-year-old yet her daughter has now won our richest juvenile fillies race.

And Jorja has Oaks next season written all over by the way she outstayed some very good youngsters in a 1:56.9 mile rate for the 1980m mobile.

Earlier the day former yearling sales topper Duke of Bourbon confirmed himself as our best two-year-old trotter in the $100,000 IRT Sires’ Stakes Final.

The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan trained colt sat parked for the majority of the Group 1 and was still too strong at the end for Eyes Wide Open in a win that should guarantee him two-year-old trotter of the year.

While nobody will be surprised by his recent form of the son of Face Time Bourbon and former outstanding mare Dance Craze as he has always looked the goods but what has changed is his reliability.

“He has really grown up in the last six weeks both physically and mentally,” said Phelan.

“Barry came down and changed some of the angles on his shoes and that is definitely helping him trot better but he has actually got bigger and stronger too.

“He will go for a spell now and be back for the good races at Alexandra Park in March.”

While Duke of Bourbon was the favourite, a race earlier Just Like Jagger caused an upset winning the Adore Me Pace thanks to a daring drive from trainer Kirstin Green.

She launched the daughter of Vincent straight to the lead, a task made easier with second favourite Stella Rouge galloping in the score up.

Green then got the tempo perfectly right before letting Just Like Jagger pace home in 56.8 and 28.8 for the biggest win of her career.

While the Southland mare’s 23-1 win may have stunned punters it was no fluke as favourite Arafura was up outside her over the last 600m and while she had a hard run she had her chance while third favourite Chicago Sky sat on Just Like Jagger’s back and couldn’t get past her.

Just Like Jagger held on by a neck to take the Group 2 and seal her future broodmare career.