ORARI NEXT FOR WELL-RELATED SQUAREGAITER
King Of Strathfield, unbeaten in two grass track starts, will try for a hat-trick at the upcoming Geraldine meeting at Orari on Saturday week, November 27.
The big bay cruised home to win at the Oamaru Harness Racing Club’s Heritage meeting on Wednesday, November 17, for Burnham trainer-driver Mark Jones.
“It was only really a sprint up the straight and he did it well,” Mark said.
Oamaru was a suitable option for King Of Strathfield after he was found to have been feeling the hard track at Addington on NZ Cup day.
“We had a bit trouble with his feet but it seemed to make the difference racing on the grass,” he said.
“We’ll go to Geraldine then have a talk to Neil Munro (co-owner) about maybe going to Auckland for premier racing.”
“He should be alright racing at Auckland. Its only on the hard track at Addington that seems to affect him.”
“Now that we know he’s like that, he should be pretty easy to manage.”
King Of Strathfield had no luck in the running in the 3200m $20,000 Searells Chartered Accountants Trot at Addington, breaking late in the run home when making ground wide out.
He held favourite Double Bundy, who tracked him throughout, by three-quarters of a length, at Oamaru.
King Of Strathfield joined the Mark Jones stable in September after former trainer and co-owner Neil Munro suffered an arm injury.
The 5YO Armbro Invasion gelding was notching his 5th win from 25 starts at Oamaru, furthering the record of his top producing dam Rob The Nest, who has left two NZ Trotting Derby winner _ Thedonsson (2003) and Galleons Assassin (2006).
To Sundon, Rob The Nest left the talented brothers, 2003 NZ 3YO Trotter of the Year Thedonsson (9 NZ wins & $124,793, 1:54.8, US) and the ill-fated Sonofthedon, the 2004 NZ 4YO Trotter of the Year, who won seven and was four times second from only 11 starts.
Their half-brother Galleons Assassin, by Earl, won 13 of 44 starts for $427,286 in Australasia for the Mark Purdon/Grant Payne stable including the 2005 Australasian Breeders Crown 2YO Trot Final. He has subsequently taken a 1:55.4 mile mark in North America.
Rob The Nest’s grand-dam Robyn Evander won eight including the 1975 Rowe Cup and left one even better in 1994 Rowe Cup winner in Diamond Field (33 wins & $536,607).
The Rowe Cup has had an affinity with the family as Robyn Evander’s half-brother Mountain Pride also won the Rowe in 1967.
By Jeff Scott