FILLIES FOR INVERCARGILL
Burnham trainer Mark Jones is heading to Invercargill on Saturday March 26 with promising fillies, 3YO Rockabella, and 2YO Glenferrie Magic.
Rockabella, recently secured for Queensland owner Greg Brodie, was the star trialist at Rangiora on Wednesday, March 16.
The qualified but unraced Art Major filly came from last of the eight starters to win on Wednesday to win a useful 2:30 (2:00.6 mile rate), being timed by her trainer-driver to go well inside 56 seconds for her last 800m.
“I wasn’t going to pull her out but Ken Barron’s one galloped ahead of me. I got her to run her last 800m in 55.2 or 3, and she showed good speed doing it,” he said.
Rockabella, who won her Rangiora qualifier in January by four lengths when formerly with Neil Hamilton, has replaced qualified maiden Gee That’s Courage, who has been sold out of the Jones team to race in Australia.
“She had been trialled by a few people but they had been qualming about the price. We trialled her and met their price, so bought her,” Mark said.
Mark intends targeting the Southland Oaks with Rockabella
“She’ll race next week at Invercargill and again following week, then come home for a Nevele R Heat, but I’m not too worried about the Nevele R,” he said.
Two-year-old Glenferrie Magic, a first-up second to Dancing Diamonds in the American Ideal Stakes at Rangiora, ran on late wide out for fourth to Shezanelsu in the 2YO fillies pace at Wednesday’s trials.
Shezanelsu, another promising filly in the Mark Purdon/Grant Payne team, trailed up and found the line strongly to win by 2 1/4 lengths from Gaylee’s Delight and Star Of Isis, pacing the mobile 2000m in 2:35.4 (2:05 mile rate), the leaders running their last 800m in 57.8s.
“I’ll probably lean towards the Southland race ($25,000 Caduceus Club of Southland/Nevele R Stud 2YO fillies Classic) instead of that Sires race here,” Mark said.
“She was ok but a shade disappointing today so I’ll change a few things with her,” he said.
Holme Fire, after settling back for driver Scott Stewart, finished well late wide to beat the Purdon/Payne-trained My Style in an earlier 2YO fillies pace in 2:33.8 (2:03.7 mile rate), the leaders running their last 800m in 58.4s.
The Courage Under Fire filly is owned by Greg Brodie.
Atombob (Scott Stewart), four back on the inner to the turn, unwound solidly wide out for third to Ged’s Courage and Ultimate Sheldon in a 2YO colts and geldings mobile pace.
Ged’s Courage, who settled three back on the markers, scored handily by a length for trainer Paul Kerr in a time of 2:35.3 for the 2000m, a 2:04.9 mile rate with the leaders running their last 800m in 58s.
By Jeff Scott