BUZZ COURAGE DELIVERS IN ADDINGTON MAIDEN
Buzz Courage, who features the bloodlines of two of owner Greg Brodie’s most successful racehorses, registered the 34th training win of the season for the Mark Jones stable at Addington on Thursday, February 16.
The win also put Overport Lodge junior reinsman Regan Todd into double figures for the term, moving to 10 wins for the season and 61 for his career.
Buzz Courage, by former champion pacer and successful sire Courage Under Fire, is from Honey Franco, a qualified but unraced sister to another former Grand Circuit pacer raced by Mr Brodie in Franco Hat Trick (1:52, US), who won 11 races from 45 starts in Australasia for $389,635 in stakes.
Franco Hat Trick, who won a New South Wales Derby at three, and a Chariots Of Fire at Harold Park at four, also won a further 17 times in North America, adding $261,240 to his career bankroll.
Honey Franco (Holmes Hanover-Heather Franco) is also a sister to another former top pacer in Franco Heir, who won a NZ Sires’ Stakes Final and the NSW Derby at three, winning 16 of 51 starts for $350,950.
Buzz Courage is unlikely to be quite as illustrious as his famous relations but continues to make good progress.
The half-brother to sub 2:00 pacers _ Franco Henry (1:58.8, 10 Aust. wins), Fancy Falcon (1:59.1, 11 Aust wins) and Sweet Falcon O’Mine (TT, 1:57.7) _ improved on a first-up second at Waikouaiti last Sunday to deliver as a $1.80 win favourite against a moderate field at Addington.
The green three-year-old almost threw away Thursday’s race when he paced roughly after 500m, going into a gallop, but Regan was able to get him down pacing again without doing too much damage to his chances.
Once back on an even keel, Regan sent him forward to the front with 1700m left to run in the mobile 2600m maiden.
He was too good in the run home, holding Live Jazz (Ken Barron) by three-quarters of a length, with outsider Streamline Boy boxing on after having an economical trip for Amber Lethaby to run third.
Buzz Courage paced the mobile 2600m in 3:20.4 (2:04 mile rate), running his last 800m in 60.2s and final 400m in 30.1s.