By MIKE DILLON
Alan Jones says the hardest thing for a trainer to do with a group one horse is nothing.
That's what won him yesterday's $350,000 Westbury Stud Auckland Cup with Our Unicorn, but he says it tested even his reknown laidback approach.
Jones knew he had to do something radical when Our Unicorn arrived at his Cambridge stable after finishing 18th of 22 runners in the Melbourne Cup only eight weeks ago.
"I haven't galloped this horse even half a furlong (100m) since he's been back at my place."
Jones figured he would be wasting his time trying to improve on the traditional training methods of his Melbourne mate Colin Alderson.
"I wanted to freshen him mentally and physically by giving him long, quiet work and, you know, that must be impossible for an owner/trainer to do, because you're always questioning what you're doing.
"You always think what you're doing is wrong, but fortunately at my age, I don't gave a toss whether it's right or wrong, you give it a shot."
Our Unicorn appreciated that shot and won his first race since taking the Manion Cup at Rosehill in March 1999.
No one was more pleased for Jones and his Asian owners David and Allan Yam than Colin Alderson when the Herald spoke to him one hour after the race in Melbourne.
"Those two brothers are the best owners in the business. No one would have hung in there like these guys have,"said Alderson.
"They took their knocks with the horse on the chin and kept standing up. Not many others would have."
Not even a bit of ribbing could alter Alderson's thoughts.
In his acceptace speech Jones thanked Alderson for pre-training Our Unicorn for him.
"I'm just so rapt for Alan and, you know, I actually rated him in Brew's Melbourne Cup, but we rode him upside down," added Alderson.
Alderson was impressed ith Michael Coleman's ride on Our Unicorn.
"It was exactly as I thought he should always be ridden."
Coleman allowed Our Unicorn to roll into contention from the 800m and from early in the run home he was the one who set out after Ebony Honor.
"I was giving him a fair start, but from halfway down I was always confident I could pick up the three lengths on the leader," said Coleman, basking in his ninth group one success in New Zealand.
Alderson did not entirely miss out - he backed Our Unicorn at $31 on the Victorian TAB. The winner's dividend here was $41.90.
Jones admitted he had no real idea how Our Unicorn would perform, but was happy with the horse's condition.
"Alan told me he would give me a good ride," said Coleman.
Jones was relying on the Zabeel factor.
"He was the only Zabeel in the race and show them a group one race and they grow another leg."
Our Unicorn carried 56kg topweight and Jones accepts that the horse's future is now almost certainly back in Australia.
"If he goes back Colin will definitely be training him, not me.
"The only thing is we'll probably have to send Kenny Browne's hill over with him."
Jones was referring to the fact that much of Our Unicorn's work had been done going up Browne's legendary hill, where the stable's jumpers do their stamina work.
As a working companion, Jones' wife Linda had ridden Millenium Star, who as first emergency did not gain a start.
"We've been doing one lap of our 2000m track trotting then two rounds of pacework followed by a walk along the Waikato River."
There was not a brighter horse in the parade than Our Unicorn.
"I'd like to have a crack at the Wellington Cup with him before he goes back to Australia, but it depends on weight," said Alan Jones.
Racing: Radical Jones turns Our Unicorn around in time
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