News

Jameka to take south-west hopes into VRC Oaks

27th Oct 2015

The Standard - Tuesday October 27, 2015

Warrnambool factory worker Steve Priestley will be missing from work on Thursday week.

Instead he'll be trackside at Flemington watching Jameka, a horse he part-owns, run in the $1 million VRC Oaks.

Pristley, who works in Dennington for Fonterra, said his nerves had already kicked in after the Ciaron Maher-trained Jameka won the $200,000 Teas Vase at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Pristley, 47, said he was lucky to be in the ownership of Jameka after a phone call from Maher two years ago.

"It's all amazing how I'm involved in the ownership of Jameka. It's all like a dream,” he said.

“Ciaron was training an un-raced horse for me but out of the blue he gave me a phone call to say the horse had a paddock accident and had to be put down.

“Ciaron said I was owed insurance money. I told Ciaron don't worry about the insurance money just put me into another horse that he thought might go all right.

“He put me into Jameka. Her win at the Valley is the biggest thrill I've had in racing. She's now one of the favourites in the Oaks."

Pristley said his partner Michelle had missed Jameka's past three starts but she will be trackside with him at Flemington for the Oaks on November 5.