Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Former successful jockey and talented trainer-reinsman Kristian Hawkins has rekindled his love of harness racing, and he celebrated his first win at Gloucester Park for six and a half years when he prepared veteran pacer Jamie Kim for his victory in the $21,000 Westside Auto For Your Tyres Pace over 2130m on Friday night.
“I’m in the process of getting more pacers to train,” he said after Jocelyn Young set the pace with Jamie Kim, an $8 chance who led from the No. 2 barrier and was able to dawdle through the lead time in 38.6sec. and slow opening quarters of 32.2sec. and 30.8sec.
Young then increased the tempo, and Jamie Kim covered the final 400m sections in 29.4sec. and 29.1sec. and scored by a half-length from $4 chance True Grit, who fought on from sixth at the bell.
This gave the 46-year-old Hawkins his first win at Gloucester Park since he trained and drove Runaway Three for a half-head victory over Soho Thunderstruck on December 23, 2019.
Hawkins is the seventh trainer to have prepared Jamie Kim during his career of 141 starts for eleven wins, 24 placings and stakes of $108,267. Hawkins has now trained 148 winners.
He relinquished his licence as a trainer-reinsman in March 2020 when he was appointed as a cadet harness racing steward, and after a year in that job he travelled to Port Hedland where he worked for five and a half years at an iron ore facility.
“At the moment I’m working Jamie Kim and two gallopers, Desert Edge and Manhattan Strip, and am looking forward to Jamie Kim performing well when he contests a standing-start event at Pinjarra on Monday,” he said.
“Then in a couple of weeks I’ll hit the road with the two gallopers who will be set for the Broome, Roebourne and Port Hedland Cups. While I am away Possum (Jocelyn) will train Jamie Kim.”
Jamie Kim, a seven-year-old by Art Major, is the first foal out of Just Jamie, a mare Hawkins purchased and raced in partnership with several mates, one of whom is Mal Whyte, who owns Jamie Kim with his brother Bill.