Leading reinsman Blake Jones is looking for a big month on the track to raise awareness for bipolar disorder.
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Jones has teamed up with local charity Good Talk and will wear special colours in each of his races throughout March.
He’ll donate $50 to the charity for each winner he drives for the month.
Eight Riverina businesses, plus his punters club, will match the donation meaning ever winner he drives will earn $500 for the charity.
The Coleambally driver is currently eighth on the NSW premiership and has 42 winners so far this season.
He’s hoping to kick start things with a bang at the Wagga Pacers Cup meeting on Saturday.
The specially designed colours debut at Parkes on Friday, but he has seven drives on Wagga’s biggest night.
He rates Sunrising, who has been runner up in his last two starts, the best of his chances.
“Sunrising is my best by a far way,” Jones said.
“Miss Kenny is a little bit of a chance, but it depends on if she can hold the top or not.
“Hillier’s gets out pretty quick, but she seems to go a lot better if she is in front so we will be trying to hold the to the front.”
He also lines up with Our Classical Art in the Wagga Pacers Cup.
Jake Stockton’s mare copped plenty of interference in the prelude last week but was a winner at Menangle four and five starts back.
Jones is worried about starting from barrier nine.
“She is well graded but her better runs have been when she is out in front and probably over the shorter trip,” he said.
“Her run the other day it was probably hard to see how good she went, but she did loose a fair bit of ground and didn’t finish too far off them really.
“I didn’t think it was too bad and it will be interesting to see what we do at the start.
“I’m not sure whether to roll the dice and punch through …. or whether he grab hold and lob on the back of Brallos Pass and follow him. I will have to see what Jake reckons.”
With feature races at Wagga, Young, Junee and Bathurst coming up this month, Jones is hoping racing in front of the bigger crowds will help boost the charity.
Good Talk was established following the death of Marrar footballer Graeme Reid last year.
Jones was friends with the popular footballer and is more than happy to lend his support.
“I got to know him playing footy against him, he became mates with a few of the Coly boys and we went out a few times,” Jones said.
“It would be great to kick a few home and support the charity.”
Good Talk will also have a charity fun run on March 17 with an auction at the Sportsman’s Club Hotel, who are donating $50 for each win, to be held later that night.