TWO JUVENILE PACING COLTS QUALIFY AT ASHBURTON
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones qualified two 2YO pacing colts at the Ashburton trials on Tuesday, December 20, including Squire(Aus), who he purchased for $47,000 at the Sydney Australia Pacing Gold Yearling Sale on February 27.
Squire(Aus) makes his run between winner Ashley Locaz and Awayovernight (partly obscured wide) in the run home at the Ashburton trials.
Squire(Aus) settled fourth for Mark and pierced through between runners over the final 150m in the second 2YO colts and geldings trial, finishing just over half a length from the the Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen-trained Ashley Locaz (2c Bettor’s Delight-Ashley Cullen).
Ashley Locaz settled one place ahead of Squire(Aus) and did just enough to win, edging out Awayovernight, who ran wide in straight, by a nose in 2:01.6 for the 1609m.
The leaders quickened over their last 800m in 57.6s and final 400m in 27.3s.
Awayovernight (2c Changeover-Dancethenightaway), who trailed, fought held second, with Squire(Aus) half a length back, clocking 2:01.7.
Squire’s dam Trinny Bromac is a sister to the former 10-race NZ winner Ross The Boss (1:50, US), who added another 24 wins in the US for over $400,000; and also a sister to minor NZ winner Habeebee (1:53.6, USA), now the winner of over $60,000.
Roll On Styx shows good gate speed to lead early in the first 2YO colts and geldings heat at the Ashburton trials.
Her grand-dam Tanisa Vance is the dam of five individual winners including Bromac Lodge mare Tanisa Bromac (TT, 1:58.1), a Live Or Die dam of four individual winners, namely Tijuana Bromac (1:58.7 13 wins & $101,873), (Black) Mr Mach (1:56.5, nine wins
& $A83,749), Twitter Bromac (one win) and Torrid Bromac (1:56.7, six wins & $44,860).
Earlier, Roll Along Styx, a Rocknroll Hanover colt from seven-win mare Walk This Way (by Fake Left-Traffic, by New York Motoring-Out Of Time), showed good gate speed for Mark to lead in the first 2YO colts and geldings trial.
Roll Along Styx was outfinished in the run home by two lengths by the Cran Dalgety-trained Master Moonlite (2g Art Major-Miss Moonlite) but clocked a solid 2:02.3 for the 1609m.
The leaders picked up the pace over their last 800m in 57.2s and the final 400m in a swift 26.8s.
Bettor Under Fire holds Jakira in a CO mobile 2400m pace at the Ashburton trials.
Overport Lodge maiden pacer Bettor Under Fire (3c Bettor’s Delight-Queen Of Fire, AUS) led throughout to win a CO mobile pace.
Bettor Under Fire, who qualified in September, comfortably held the Cran Dalgety-trained trailer Jakira by three-quarters of a length in 3:05.8.
The winner picked up the pace over his last 800m in 57s and his final 400m in 26.8s.
He’s the first foal from a Courage Under Fire mare, who took a mark of 1:57.1 and won 16 races and $A176,808.
Queen Of Fire is a half-sister to Majestic Emperor (by Astreos), who won 18 in Australia and $A186,373, and three other sub 2:00 winners.
By Jeff Scott