By Duane Ranger (courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
Dinmore meat processing supervisor, Justin Pascoe, doesn’t get to drive much as he would like these days, but at Redcliffe Paceway last Thursday (December 28) afternoon, the ‘hobby reinsman’ simply out-drove his eight opponents on a much loved $34 dollar outsider.
Pascoe, trained, drove and owned Ocean Lane to win race the last event (R10) – the Mazda Aspley NR40-43 Pace. It was Ocean Lane’s sixth win in 52 starts. She has also placed 14 times and banked $30,866. She was the $34 eighth favourite of nine.
The gutsy bay is owned by Pascoe, who bought her off her breeder, Gavin Fitzpatrick, after eight starts in late 2020. At that stage she hadn’t won a race. Now Ocean Lane has had six wins in 52 starts. She has also placed 14 times and banked $30,866. She was the $34 fixed odds eighth favourite of nine.
“I’m on holiday and decided to drive her myself this time. It was a great thrill. She responded well when I asked her for an effort at the 300 metres. I actually bought this mare primarily to breed from. She broke a little bone in her foot last August and I was actually going to retire her and put her to Sweet Lou.
“The foot got infected and then Matt Learoyd did such a good job getting her well again, I decided to keep racing her and put my other mare – The Way Youkissme (By Mach Three) – to Sweet Lou instead. Ocean Lane has been back racing since July after having 11 months out. She’s placed a few times this campaign, but that was her first win since she got injured,” Pascoe said.
“I think I will race her for another season, and then put her to Sweet Lou as well,” the 47-year-old added.
It was Pascoe’s 43rd career training win since he took out his licence in 1999-2000. He’s also placed 122 times and banked $141,542. He’s bagged one winner in both of the last two seasons.
In the sulky the Walloon-based reinsman has saluted the judge 47 times since 1998-1999. He’s also had 138 place-getters and netted $126,706. Thursday’s upset victory was his first since the 2016-2017 season.
His drive on Thursday was ‘Nathan-Dawson-like’.
Ocean Lane started from gate nine and Pascoe had her two-out and three-back in the running line. Then at the 300 metres he launched the tough 6-year-old. From that point their sprint was simply too strong, and they tore away to win the 1,780m mobile by an increasing 7.6 metres.
The Mach Three – Neptunes Lady mare stopped the clock in 2:11.3. Her sectionals were 29.4, 30.7, 28.6, and 31.4. Her mile rate of 1:58.7 was a personal best.
But despite only having 825 drives since 1998 (44 wins), Pascoe knows about winning against professional sportsmen. The Ipswich born-and-educated Pascoe has a very competitive edge, supported by brilliant hand-eye-co-ordination.
In his 20s he was a Queensland darts representative and played against world-ranked and former European Champion, Simon Whitlock.
“I represented Queensland and used to go all right. I think I played Simon twice and I remember him beating me two – one. I really enjoyed my darts and still do, but it must be 14 years now since I picked up a dart. I’ve always loved sport. My colours (blue, black with white stars and armbands) are the same as my favourite NBA basketball team – the Orlando Magic.
“But my job at Dinmore has always come first and cut into both darts and harness racing. I had to make a choice and am pretty happy with where I am now. I’m a supervisor at work, where fellow horsemen Clint Petroff and Phil Keats work under me.”
However, Pascoe, admits he would never have been able to work his team of four had it not been for Billy and Ben Crosby, and his brother-in-law, Keith Haslem.
“JBS (Dinmore) is a good place to work, and has been my number one job since I started there in my late 20s. There’s no way I would have been able to work a stable all these years had it not been for the Crosbys and my brother-in-law, Keith.
“I’m so grateful that the Crosbys allow me to train my horse on their Haigslea property for the last three years. As for Keith, he does a tremendous job. He’s like a true brother, rather than an in-law. When I’m working he takes the horse or horses to the track for me. I can’t thank him enough. He helps me out a lot and is always there for me. This was Keith’s win as well,” Pascoe said.
Pascoe undertook labouring work for nine years after leaving Ipswich State High School. He said he had been around horses all of his life thanks to his grandfather Sam and Dad, William, who have both passed away.
“They both had horses and I got the bug pretty early in life. I’ve always enjoyed harness racing, and now I’m enjoying breeding. I think Ocean Lane will make a nice broodmare one day. She’s such an honest horse, and to be fair I think she would have only been paying $7 or $8 had Nathan (Dawson) been engaged to drive her again.”
Of his four in work, he said his unbeaten Well Said – The Way You Kissme rising 5-year-old gelding, Holy Madness.
“He’s won both of his starts so far at Redcliffe (July 2021) and Albion Park (January 2022) – the latter with a 1:57.6-mile rate.
“Sadly, he’s had leg issues, but is on the way back, and is by far the best horse that I have owned, trained, bred and driven,” Pascoe said.
Pascoe’s win with Ocean Lane on Thursday came 23 years after Nero’s Queen provided Pascoe with his first driving and training successes on the same day at Rocklea.
“I won’t forget her name in a hurry. I remember driving her in Dad’s colours. It was a very proud moment,” Pascoe said.
Pascoe lives on 21 acres at Walloon, which is a rural town in Ipswich and has a population of 1,588. It is 52.7 km (33 miles) west-south-west of Brisbane.
