Racing: Trainers leaving for Aussie

Brian Jenkins

SYDNEY - Melbourne Cup winning trainer Brian Jenkins is to shift from Cambridge to Melbourne.

Jenkins, who won the Cup in 1998 with Jezabeel, has taken up an offer to train for prominent owner Bruce Cook at his Bangholme property in south-east Melbourne.

"We have still to finalise a few things, but hopefully we will start moving over there in late January if everything goes to plan," Jenkins said yesterday.

He will share training duties with Cook's current trainer on the property, Brad Marzato, and will also take most of his own 12-strong team from Cambridge, including classy three-year-old Dr Green.

Jenkins said it was a great opportunity and an ideal time to shift.

"We have two children, aged nine and 10, and if we are going to make a move, it needs to be before they get too much older.

"We have enjoyed Melbourne on a number of occasions and it certainly has the best racing in the southern hemisphere."

Jenkins said that, though New Zealand prizemoney was not great, he was not leaving with any complaints about the racing scene.

"We started here in business with nothing and have done very well," he said. "We have produced a number of good horses and sold a number of good ones too."

Cook's Riverend Park property at Bangholme has its own training grass and sand tracks and is fully irrigated.

Takanini trainer Rudy Liefting recently decided to move to Cranbourne. The decision is partly because of the pending closure of the Takanini training track.

- NZPA