“I shed a tear when Jungle Edge won. I was more emotional than I usually am,” said Bell.
Owned by Michelle and Chris Strickland, Ian Dunkley and a number of other investors, Bell believed the horse was one of Australia’s best wet trackers, which is why he decided to race him on that wet Saturday in February. Jungle Edge’s courageous performance and never-say-die personality won him a legion of fans when racing. He had his share of setbacks, but resilience was Edge’s middle name and his win came just at the right time for his supporters.
“I was ecstatic and, in my mind, it was his greatest win. I watched the race on the big screen and was very emotional,” said Dunkley.
“People like horses that lead and fight on. He puts a smile on many faces and this win came at a challenging time for a fair few people. The win also put a smile on the face of seasoned jockey and trainer Jade Darose. As Jungle Edge’s regular trackwork rider she had a close connection to the horse and decades of experience in the saddle. Jade began her jockey’s apprenticeship at 14 and became the first dual licence holder to win at Flemington when Parwan Prince took honours in July 2019.
After years of riding Jungle Edge in trackwork and trials, she was excited to get a chance to ride him in a race.
“It was a good race and the right conditions fell into place. He powered away from the crowd and suddenly I realised we might get this one. There were a lot of very happy and very emotional people cheering him on that day. It’s a race I’ll never forget.”
It seems that Jungle Edge will continue to provide happiness
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