CASTLEREAGH BECOMES THIRD 2YO WINNER FOR LADY BOO KAY
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones has a 100 percent winning strike rate with the 2YO progeny of Lady Boo Kay after Castlereagh won impressively at his third race start at Addington on Friday, March 24.
Mark earlier produced half-brother Beau Brummell to win in NZ record time over the mobile 2000m of 2:34.4 at Timaru in 2011 as a juvenile trotter, while half-sister Arannalea won twice at two under similar ownership.
Castlereagh and Samantha Ottley are clear of their rivals near the finish of the Avon City Ford 2YO Trot at Addington. (Race Images photo).
“Castlereagh is a nice trotter in the making and didn’t have a lot of luck in his first two starts,” Mark said.
He could try for further 2YO success in the Fahey Fence Hire NZ 2YO Trotting Stakes at Addington on April 15 and the Lone Star Riccarton Sires Stakes Trotting Championship at Addington on May 19.
Driver Samantha Ottley kept Castlereagh out of the early rush from the two gate in Friday’s Avon City Ford Mobile Trot, settling four back on the markers.
They tracked up Imperial Whiz (parked) at the 500m and switched for an inside run when a gap appeared turning for home.
Castlereagh finished off in style, clearing out by four and a half lengths in 2:26.8 (2:01.1 mile rate) for the mobile 1950m, with Imperial Whiz running second, with favourite Majestic Hurricane, who led, tiring in the run home for third.
Majestic Lavros, the half-brother to Master Lavros on debut in the same trot, settled back on the inner from a wide draw and after an interrupted run, broke in the run home, finishing sixth but 23.9 lengths from his stablemate.
Castlereagh furthered a successful run for owners, Graham Stoddart, “Bub” Phillips, “Beer” McCutheon and Kevin Schmack, who earlier co-raced Beau Brummell and Arannalea.
They bred Castlereagh after acquiring Lady Boo Kay for breeding three years ago.
Beau Brummell, a former 2YO NZ trot record holder when racing for the Mark Jones stable, has furthered his career in Australia, winning 10 races and earning $83,769.
His best win in Australia was a Group Two success in the 2014 $30,000 The West Australian Trotters Cup at Gloucester Park, Perth.
Arannalea, a winner of four from 22 NZ starts, will also get her chance to extend her record in Australia after being sold this month to Victorian interests.
Another half-sister to the Mark Jones-trained winners from Lady Boo Kay in Debaneyre has won twice for the Mike Austin stable.
Lady Boo Kay, by Sundon, is from a good trot mare in Zola’s Pride, who won eight from 67 starts for $60,660 when trained by Dick Prendergast.
She was the runnerup to Tobago in the 1990 Ordeal Trotting Cup at Addington.