GLENFERRIE CLASSIC TAKES 1:55.9 MILE RECORD AT WINTON
Glenferrie Classic, who earned a nice mile mark of 1:55.9 at Winton on December 29 to compliment her classic pedigree, could join stablemate Perissa in a tilt for Cromwell Cup grass track honours on Saturday, January 6.
Perissa is also Central Otago-bound after her bold grass track third behind Johnny Eyre and Take After Me in last Friday’s Reefton Cup.
Glenferrie Classic, the fifth sub 2:00 winner from her dam, the 2005 NZ Cup winner Mainland Banner. (Race Images photo).
Glenferrie Classic opened her 4YO racing with first-up grass track win at Methven last month.
The impeccably-bred daughter of champion sire Bettor’s Delight and 2005 New Zealand Cup winner Mainland Banner (Christian Cullen-Corporate Banner) becomes the fifth sub 2:00 performer from the first five to race from her dam.
Now the winner of three and five times placed from 15 starts for $22,697, she’s a half-sister to the fast pacers Peruvian Banner (1:52.4, US), Stunin Banner (1:56.2, Aust, racing well in NZ as an older horse for Todd Mitchell), Return To Sender (1:52.6, US) and her year-older stablemate, Rocker Band (1:53.3).
Trainer Mark Jones says Glenferrie Classic is typical of her family in that she’s getting stronger as she gets older.
Driver Stevie Golding had no options but to follow the speed early from a second row draw with Glenferrie Classic, being second-last in the running line after the opening quarter.
Still third last at the 600m, they had a good drag into it three wide with cover behind Dancing In The Dark turning for home.
They had the last say winding up strongly over the final 100m to win going away by 1 1/4 lengths.
Adding further merit to the win was the fact the leaders ran the opening half in an even 60s with things only hotting up over the final 800m in 55.9s and closing 400m in 27.8s.
It was a winning double for the Mark Jones stable and driver Stevie Golding at Winton, with Best Defence, also delivering in the PGG Wrightson ‘Sale of the Stars’ C1 Mobile Pace.
Stevie was beaten out early by fellow Canterbury raider Hunter Bromac, then after ending up three back, he drove Best Defence positively, moving him round to the front when the speed slowed mid-race.
Best Defence (6g Live Or Die-Home Vendor) kept kicking in the run home to hold by 1 1/2 lengths from outsider Rahuri Badlands, with Hunter Bromac finishing on late for third.
The winner, raced by Canterbury racecaller Mark McNamara and wife Katie, paced a smart 2:58.3 for the mobile 2400m (1:59.5 mile rate) for his second win from 41 starts and his first in six starts since being leased by the McNamaras’
Best Defence will try for back-to-back wins in an amateur drivers race at Roxburgh on Wednesday.