PAUL Rowse’s name appears beside Decorated Jasper as the trainer.
While he has the ultimate responsibility of getting the nine-year-old to the races, Rowse is quick to emphasise it has been a team effort to get Decorated Jasper to the heights he has reached and keep him there.
“That’s the way it’s always been,” Rowse said.
Go to the Rowse’s Ross Creek stable, especially on a fast work morning, and there can be as many as 10 people doing various tasks with its team of pacers.
Rowse’s immediate family, brother Peter, father Ken and uncle Merv Underwood are front and centre.
There’s close family friend Gary Mannington, who with the three Rowses, races Decorated Jasper.
Then there is Greg Moy, Leigh Stollery, Alan Matthews and Paul Fraser, when he is not mining for opals at Lightning Ridge.
Add farrier and friend Steve Loftus, muscle man Vin Grace and veterinary surgeon Andrew Cust and you have the extended “family” who contributes to the training operation.
Paul Rowse said with the demands of of being Ballarat and District Trotting Club chief executive officer, and husband and father, it would not be possible to maintain the stable without the support of family and friends.
It is a formula which has worked well, with the home-bred Decorated Jasper being the Rowses’ biggest success story so far. Decorated Jasper has won 25 races and been placed 22 times in 79 starts for a healthy bankroll of almost $345,000.
His biggest win came at his latest outing, the group 2 $50,000 Bendigo Pacing Cup, in which he lead all-the-way.
“It was great to win a group race.”
Decorated Jasper lines up in the group 1 $125,000 PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup, 2710m, for a third time tomorrow night. He had his first try in 2009. Sent out third favourite, he finished a long last after copping interference late in the race.
The son of Village Jasper returned last year, but again things did not go his way. He was caught behind a tiring Smoken Up at the business end of the race and had to settle for sixth.
Decorated Jasper faces probably his hardest assignment so far in the race, which Rowse is almost certain will be his swansong when it comes this grand circuit event. The all-conquering Smoken Up and rising star Sushi Sushi headline the field.
Wearing his BDTC hat, Rowse could hardly be excited about having the two champions clashing for the first time in the Ballarat Cup.
As the part-owner and trainer of a rival, there could hardly be a more daunting task than facing the duo.
Rowse believes Smoken Up is the one to beat. He said while Sushi Sushi as a four-year-old was the heir apparent to Smoken Up’s crown, the elder statesman had the advantage as the most seasoned.
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