ARIADNE LAVRA WINS; MASTER LAVROS TO TRIAL ON TUESDAY
Ariadne Lavra’s smart win in a $10,600 C1-2 pace at Geraldine on Saturday, November 26, may lead to an even brighter December for Overport Lodge owner Kypros Kotzikas, and trainer Mark Jones.
Mr Kotzikas’s star trotter Master Lavros had his first track hit-out on Sunday for the Overport Lodge team after being sidelined since last December.
“He will trial on Tuesday at Rangiora and all going well may race on December 16 at Addington,” Mark said.
Ariadne Lavra, successful at Orari on Saturday for driver Samantha Ottley. She’s the winner of four from seven starts for owner Kypros Kotzikas from the Overport Lodge stable of trainer Mark Jones.
The NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club have a mobile 2600m free-for-all trot programmed, which may be a suitable option for the giant-sized trotter.
Master Lavros, a former Trotter of the Year, suffered a hind suspensory problem after running second to the subsequent Trotter of the Year Monbet in the Rosslands Lyell Creek Stakes at Auckland last December.
It was his only start after a month earlier winning a second Dominion Handicap at Addington.
Now eight, it has been a long slow road back to recovery for the Sundon gelding, but so far signs are encouraging.
He has raced 47 times for 19 wins, 11 placings and $590,102 in stakes.
Meanwhile, Mr Kotzikas’s promising 3YO pacing filly Ariadne Lavra confirmed her talent by outfinishing promising 3YO colt Raukapuka Ruler in Saturday’s C1-2 Temuka Transport Handicap Pace over 2500m.
The Art Major filly was safely away but in seventh place on settling, with driver Samantha Ottley soon finding a one-out trail on the back of warm favourite Raukapuka Ruler over the last 1900m.
They had the last say outsprinting the favourite in the closing stages to win by 1 1/4 lengths in a useful 3:16.9 for the 2500m trip, the leaders sharpening up over the last 800m in 59.1s and final 400m in 27.4s.
This was the fourth win in seven starts for just over $20,000 in stakes for the daughter of Hilarious Lavra, a race-winning grand-daughter of former top winning mare Tuapeka Star.
“I have no immediate plans with her,” Mark said.
“She will just tick over and her aim is the Southland Oaks,” he said.
By Jeff Scott