MASTER LAVROS STEPS UP FOR CHALLENGE
Giant-sized trotter Master Lavros will have another chance to impress the Glenferrie Farm Challenge selectors with a further mobile 1950m trot at Addington on February 15.
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones said Master Lavros hadn’t been invited as yet to the $A200,000 Challenge at Tabcorp Park, Menangle on March 2.
Master Lavros, now the winner of over $200,000, and preparing for Sydney next month.
However, he said he was expecing the invite to come after Master Lavros led up and won the $25,000 Seelite Windows & Doors Summer Trotting Free-For-All at Addington on Friday, January 31.
Master Lavros kept up a strong run to hold Sheemon by half a length, rating 1:58.6 for the mobile 1950m, trotting his last 800m in 58.6s and final 400m in 28.3s.
The race eventually started after two false starts, which gave Mark time to reassess his start plans.
Master Lavros resented being held back off the gate and mixed his gait in the first two score-ups, but Mark put him up on the gate the third time and he was perfect.
“I’m not concerned about the gate (mobile) with him,” he said.
Master Lavros, a strapping son of Sundon and Lavra Noblesse (by Sierra Kosmos), will become more adept with more mobile racing.
Friday’s run was just his fifth start behind the mobile gate.
He had previously placed once behind the mobile, recovering from an early break for second to Stig over 2600m in May. This was his first mobile start victory.
Master Lavros, this season’s Group One Dominion Handicap winner, ticked his earnings over the $200,000 mark with Friday’s win, his 12th from only 23 starts.
The victory in the Group Three trot lifted his earnings to $210,868 for owner Kypros Kotzikas.
By Jeff Scott