BLAIR ORANGE BECOMES 23RD TO REIN 1000 NZ WINNERS
Blair Orange, a regular stable driver for good friend and Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones, became the 23rd reinsman to drive 1000 NZ winners at Addington on Friday,
January 30.
Blair Orange salutes for win No. 1000.
He achieved the feat with a positive drive behind the well fancied Change Time for current boss Ken Barron in the C3-5 Resource Recyling Technologies NZ Ltd Mobile Pace.
Blair worked to the front with the in-form Christian Cullen mare, the trailed The Brigadier from the 1100m, before driving through strongly in the straight.
His assocation with the Mark Jones stable has resulted in the pair combining to win the last two Invercargill Cups with Johnny Fox and Saveapatrol.
“I’d like to thank all those that have helped me from the year dot when I was a little known kid,” Blair said.
“For someone not from a harness racing family, I can only thank the people who encouraged me and gave me a chance.”
He made special mention of trainers such as Tim Butt, Mike Austin, Mark Jones, Mark Purdon and Andrew Stuart, who have been big supporters of his career.
Blair is congratulated by daughter Lily, and wife Lisa, after his milestone achievement.
Blair also thanked his wife Lisa for allowing him to travel to the various meetings while she looks after son Harrison, and daughter, Lily, at home.
He opened his driving account at Reefton in 1996, reining Whizza Nova to win for Tim Butt’s Premier Stables, and the wins have flowed regularly every season since.
When working for the Allstars stable, he won numerous feature races driving Jay’s Debut, Lennon, Ohoka Arizona, Highview Tommy, Joyfuljoy, Auckland Reactor, Kotare Mach, Russley Rascal, Lancome, Cyclone U Bolt and Adore Me.
Teaming up with Ken Barron’s Toliman Lodge this term, Blair’s success rate continues to be high, having reined 55 seasonal winners.
Ken Barron, himself, joined the 1000-win drivers club in April, 2013, but subsequently seconded Blair this term as his stable driver with Ken concentrating on the training side of his operation.
Blair returns to scale behind Change Time, after racking up his 1000th win at Addington on Friday, January 30, 2015.
Blair joins as elite list including Mark Jones, who at one stage was the fastest NZ driver to reach 1000 wins, before Dexter Dunn took over as the quickest to reach 1000 at Addington in 2012.
The late “maestro” Maurice Holmes was NZ’s first to 1000 driving wins in 1960.
The full 23 achievers in the 1000-win club are: Maurice Holmes, Peter Wolfenden, Robert Cameron, Mike and Colin De Filippi, Jack Smolenski, Tony Herlihy, Maurice McKendry, Anthony Butt, Jimmy Curtin, Ricky May, David Butcher, Peter Ferguson, Brent Mangos, Mark Jones, James Stormont, David Butt, John Hay, Mark Purdon, Dexter Dunn, Ken Barron, Todd Mitchell, and Blair Orange.
The next likely to join the club is Southland’s Clark Barron, who is currently on 991 driving wins but is expected to emulate brother Ken’s achievement this term.
By Jeff Scott