| HORSES |
YEAR: 1989
 |
| Jenner winning the 87 Ordeal Cup from Tyron Scottie and Simon Katz |
Grand trotter Jenner, hero of 33 wins from 185 starts over 10 seasons for $281,005, has been retired.
The 11-year-old Game Pride gelding will make his final track appearance leading out the field for the $125,000 FAI/Metlife Rowe Cup in Auckland on May 20. He will be kept in light work, training with the Kenwood Stud yearling band at Cambridge under the supervision of his breeder and master, Charlie Hunter.
Jenner has been a special favourite of Hunter's from the day he was foaled. This is not surprising, as his third dam, Royal Charge, raced and trained by his father, the late Jack Hunter of Lower Hutt, on lease from Christchurch breeder the late Clarry Rhodes, gave Charlie his initial winning drive. Permitted to breed a foal from Royal Charge, Jack Hunter put her to U Scott to produce Min Scott. Raced by Charlie's mother, Min Scott was guided by Charlie to win the 1963 Dominion Handicap at Addington, giving him his first important big-race victory.
His accomplishment of being a winner in 10 consecutive seasons is a record for a standardbred in NZ - approached only by pacers Lordship and Tactician (nine consequtive seasons), while among the trotters Fantom and Johnny Gee are next best with consecutive wins in eight seasons apiece.
Raced by Hunter's wife Annette and Jeanne Meale, wife of Kenwood co-director Brian Meale, Jenner was as honest as they come. Until jarring up on hard tracks late in his career, he had no hang-ups apart from a hind fetlock injury that kept him out of the 1985 Rowe Cup. He won 20 races at Alexandra Park, six at Cambridge, four at Addington and three at Claudelands.
He trotted a mile in 2:01.5 winning the Thames Rhodes Memorial as an 8-year-old, and was placed in 4:11.8 for 3200. Hunter drove him to 19 wins, John Langdon to six, Grant Payne to three, Gary Smith to two and Barry Anderson, Kerry O'Reilly and Jack Smolenski to one each.
Apart from Hunter, Jack Carmichael, Gary Smith and Peter Wolfenden trained him at different times. While Carmichael didn't drive him to a win, he trained him for victories in the Trotting Championship and Ordeal Cup.
Credit: Ron Bisman writing in HRWeekly 3May89