Enigmatic stayer Diamond Jak (NZ) (Jakkalberry) was on his best behaviour for the second start in a row when he strode clear in the closing stages to capture the Russell & Yvonne Green Memorial (2000m) at Matamata.
The Jakkalberry seven-year-old has kept both his trainer Mark Brosnan and various jockeys on their toes with his barrier manners on occasion, but has never lacked real ability with his mind fully on the job, as he showed once again with a determined performance to register his seventh career victory.
Fresh off a classy victory over 2100m at Ellerslie last month, Diamond Jak relished the Heavy10 underfoot conditions as rider Opie Bosson had him away cleanly in the seven-horse field before positioning him against the rail behind mid-field in the early stages.
The action began to heat up at the 600m as race favourite Agera swooped around the outer to hit the front rounding the home turn. Bosson was well aware of the threat and quickly had Diamond Jak off the fence and into the clear on Agera’s (NZ) (Complacent) inner as the pair went head to head at the 300m.
Diamond Jak asserted his superiority and burst clear before comfortably holding out the late runs of Rosetown Princess (NZ) (Redwood) and What A Charma (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) for a comprehensive win.
Brosnan admitted he was in two minds as to what lay ahead for his charge who prefers the wetter conditions but had also won well on a much firmer Ellerslie surface last time.
“He is running really well,” Brosnan said.
“I don’t know what to do with him now, whether to turn him out or keep him in work.
“There is a mile and a half (2400m) race at Te Rapa on Labour weekend. He likes Te Rapa so we might go there.
“I also keep telling him he will be going jumping but he keeps pulling one out of the bag!”
Bosson was pleased with the effort and the way his mount had handled the very testing Heavy10 conditions.
“He is really in the zone at the moment and always travelled like the winner throughout,” he said.
“I managed to cut the corner and while it is hard work out here, he got through it nicely.”
Bred and owned by Gary and Linda Hodel, Diamond Jak has now won seven of his 35 starts and over $263,000 in prizemoney.