It would be fair to say that Ken Barron is not very happy or impressed with the recent events which have forced him out of driving retirement.
Barron never announced his retirement from race day driving, but after over three decades and 1000-plus wins, he was happy taking the back seat just driving at the trials while letting top reinsman Blair Orange ply his trade.
But Barron gave a stark reminder of his renowned skills when he took three horses to the races at Addington last night and recorded a double with Better Decision and Majestic Hurricane, while he was second with roughie Tere The Terminator in the race in between.
Better Decision was Barron’s first win in the sulky since Compliant at Addington in May last year.
That was pretty straight forward after the Bettor’s Delight mare drew nicely in a 1980m mobile, but Majestic Hurricane was anything but when he resumed from the unruly mark in a 2600m stand against a full field of maiden trotters.
The speedy four-year-old Majestic Son gelding stepped away well and Barron was able to thread a path through the field early before taking over from the more favoured Kings Landing after 500m.
The pair were probably the two best maiden trotters in the country going into the race and they staged a real ding-dong go in the run home, but Majestic Hurricane held on by a head after being well rated by Barron.
Astound and Tonique De Feu stuck on well after making a run around the field in the middle stages, but the cheap mid race sectionals set the event up for the classy front runners and they were over seven lengths away, with the rest of them simply not in the same ball park.
Majestic Hurricane was having his 16th race last night, but he has looked very smart since he began racing as an early two-year-old, when he was placed behind the likes of Sundees Son and Castlereagh.
He ran into some good form again last March with four consecutive seconds and two of them to Winterfell, and he was then a meritorious fourth in the Trotting Derby, recording 3.16 from the unruly mark.
But a trip to Auckland proved fruitless and Majestic Hurricane went for a spell, still a maiden.
Some impressive winning form at the trials recently suggested that wasn’t about to remain the case for long.
“When he went to Auckland I think he had just come to the end of it after some hard racing,” said Barron.
“He’s always been head strong and had an issue with over racing and while he’s much better now, he’s still far from perfect.”
Majestic Hurricane is clearly heading for the best classes and is yet another good performer from Dear Diedre, the Sundon daughter of Diedre’s Pride who has already produced President Roydon, Duchess Diedre and The Earth Moved.
With nothing else ready, Barron will be having a day off from Ashburton on Monday, but his other good trotters Arnold, BD Love and Over The Love are set to resume at either Kaikoura or Addington on Friday week in preparation for the Cup meeting.
