EYRE I COME FRESHENED AFTER MINOR SETBACK
Promising Overport Lodge squaregaiter Eyre I Come is having two weeks off after a minor paddock incident ruled him out of racing last weekend.
“When I went out to get him on the morning of the race I found him caught in a fence,” said trainer Mark Jones.
Eyre I Come, missed racing at Orari last Saturday.
“He was ok the next day. I probably could have started him but it wasn’t worth taking any risks.”
Mark will target the $25,000 Four & Five-Year-Old Trotting Championship at Addington on March 20 with the impressive NZ Cup day intermediate trot winner.
Eyre I Come, a 4YO Majestic Son gelding, has raced only 10 times for three wins.
“Being a combined four and five-year-old makes it a bit harder, but it suited us last year with Master Lavros, even though he got beat in that,” Mark said.
Master Lavros, meanwhile, arrived back in Christchurch on Wednesday after his trip to Matamata for tests, which revealed some wear and tear in his front joints and stifles.
He will be treated and swum for the next few weeks.
“We’ll just have to manage his issues and keep on top of it,” Mark said.
“Ideally I’d like to take him to the Glenferrie Challenge at Menangle (March 1).”
“There’s a mob free-for-all at Addington on January 30. He might be back for that.”
PERISSA DELIVERS AT ORARI
Perissa, who delivered second-up for the Mark Jones stable at Orari on Saturday, November 29, is likely to target the Westport meeting at the end of the month.
“She got the right run in the right race,” Mark said.
“She was going good before I got her. Andrew Stuart had freshened her up for a couple of weeks before she came here.”
Perissa backed up a strong second to Lightning Mach at Motukarara with a penalty-free win for Kimberly Butt in the Temuka Transport Mobile Pace for junior drivers at Orari.
Kim sooled her out to hold her place from the ace early, then handed to Mighty Mara entering the first turn.
Perissa, a 5YO Art Major mare, finished best with a sprint lane finish to score by half a head from the consistent McArdle Royale in a 2:00.7 rate for the 1850m, the leaders running their last 800m in 59.3s and final 400m in 28.1s.
This was Kimberly’s 18th driving win and her fourth this season, and the 17th training win for the Mark Jones stable for the season.