Corporal Luna races to Billy Grima Memorial victory for Jarred Hetherington

Corporal Luna has been a success story since he joined the Jarred Hetherington stable late last year, and on Sunday the eight-year-old gelding raced to his most significant win for the Narrabri trainer yet.

Corporal Luna was one of four Hetherington-trained pacers in action at the Tamworth Paceway for a Tamworth Harness Racing meeting.

In his 187th career race, the eight-year-old started the sixth race of the evening from pole position.

That race was the highly-anticipated 1980-metre Billy Grima Memorial race.

Corporal Luna rose to the occasion, running to a head-length win for his fourth victory in nine races as a Hetherington-trained pacer and the 23rd since his debut at Albion Park back in 2014 for previous trainer Grant Dixon.

Hetherington told The Courier that Sunday’s Billy Grima Memorial victory was a special one.

“This is quite a special one for us because we are tight with the Grima family,” Hetherington said.

“We went very close to winning it in 2018 (when Million Dollar Mac placed second by less than two metres behind winner Ruth Shannon) and we set ourselves a goal that when we had the right horse and noticed that race coming up we would set something for it.

“As luck had it we got it this year.”

Corporal Luna was in doubt for Sunday’s race but overcame an injury to claim a memorable victory.

In a thrilling finish he entered the final straight in third place and had some work to do but flew home to victory.

“It was good to watch,” Hetherington said.

“We had a lot of trouble with him through the week and he missed about four days’ work due to a problem with his inside front.

“But we were able to fix that and get him ready. We probably drove him a little bit more quietly than what we normally would.

“During the race we were concerned that it wasn’t being run fast enough because he’s a genuine stayer, but I think when they skipped up the back straight it really helped bring him into it.”

Hetherington said that he had full confidence in Corporal Luna prior to that injury and commended the pacer’s performances since joining the Hetherington stable.

“Prior to the injury and the trouble we had with him we thought he would definitely win,” the Narrabri trainer said.

“He’s done a really good job, he’s only had nine starts for us for four wins a second and a third so he’s really doing his job.

“He won his first three for us.

“He went off a little bit over the Tamworth carnival but his last start he was huge for us, he ran second, and now he’s produced this one.

“GSM Racing own him. They are a good client of ours and send us some nice horses, they probably own a third of our horses that we’ve got here at the moment.”

Hetherington added that he was impressed with the performance of driver Tom Ison.

“I’m very lucky to have someone of Tommy’s calibre driving my horses,” Hetherington added.

“Behind Lola Weidemann he’s the best driver that comes to the Tamworth meetings. He’s good in front, he’s good in the field and he just knows how a horse is travelling and how he can keep them travelling.

“He’s doing a great job.”

In Sunday’s race the Mark Callaghan-trained, Jack Callaghan-driven $1.75 favourite Laceys Lad started best and led when the field ran past the home post for the first time.

At that point Corporal Luna was running in fourth position about two-and-a-half lengths behind the leader.

About 750 metres later and with one lap remaining Corporal Luna had fallen back to fifth place, three back on the inside, but remained less than three lengths behind the leader which was still Laceys Lad.

Corporal Luna entered the final straight in third position but had a lot of work to do as he trailed Laceys Lad and the Lola Weidemann-trained-and-driven Hes Novak by about a length and a half.

Of those three Coporal Luna ran widest, but to the delight of Hetherington he also ran home quickest, storming past Hes Novak just before the finish line after that pair overtook Laceys Lad earlier in the run home.

The Hetherington-trained pacer just got his head out in front of Hes Novak to claim the $4,160 top prize, which was the largest amount of prizemoney on offer in all nine races on the night.

Hetherington’s other three pacers all lined up in the race prior to the Billy Grima Memorial.

In the 2360-metre race five, Vinnie The Poet, driven by Mitch Chapple, Sir Macador, driven by Tom Ison, and Act Of Valor, driven by Jemma Coney, all started from the front line out of the two, three and one barriers respectively.

Vinnie The Poet finished fifth, Sir Macador finished seventh and Act Of Valor finished ninth out of nine runners.