MORE HEAD FOR AUSSIE Former New Zealand Trotting Oaks winner Commander Jewel is to return for a second crack at the Australian scene, this time in New South Wales. Canterbury owner “Jim” McDonald has struck up a 50-50 deal with New South Wales horseman Leon Jurd, which will see the big CR Commando-In De Fence mare joining the trot ranks at Menangle. Commander Jewel was tried in Victoria by Mr McDonald at the end of her NZ 3YO racing. She returned to Canterbury after winning once from six starts in Australia. Now five, Commander Jewel has picked up a further …
Itz Nosurprises wins NSW & QLD Oaks
ITZ NOSURPRISES IN NSW OAKS Itz Nosurprisesthere has proven a terrific buy out of the Mark Jones stable after taking out the $A200,000 Form 700m New South Wales Oaks at Tabcorp Park, Menangle, on Super Sunday, March 3, 2013. Given every chance handy outer by driver Luke McCarthy, the daughter of McArdle and Itz Queen Of Newyork sprinted brilliiantly in the run home to win going away from Frith and Im Smouldering. She rated 1:59.5 rate for the mobile 2400m, the leaders running their last 40m in 26.9s. Itz Nosurprisesthere was was sold by owners Bob and Nola McMeeking …
Mark wins 2nd Yearling Sales race
MARK NOTCHES 2ND SALES RACE WIN Former world champion driver Mark Jones notched the second biggest win of his driving career with Classiesistar in the $225,000 PGG Wrightson Yearling Sales 3YO Open Pace at Auckland on New Year’s eve, 2012. He had no hestitation putting Classiesistar up with the best he’d driven after he cleared out to win Monday’s 3YO feature by a big margin. Mark’s biggest win came in an earlier PGG Wrightson Yearlng Sales Open Pace, a 2YO version 4 1/2 years earlier with the Doug Gale-trained Five Star Anvil when the stake was a whopping …
Master Lavros Auckland Dec. wrap
BEATEN BUT NOT DISGRACED A rise in the handicaps finally caught up with Master Lavros on New Year’s Eve, but the big Sundon gelding went down fighting to arch rival Stent. Rival co-trainer and driver Colin De Filippi made the most of his 10m start with Stent over Master Lavros in the 3-wins and faster IRT 40 Years Flying Horses Handicap Trot. He sent Stent to the front mid-race, with Master Lavros improving with cover in the running line over the last lap. In the run home Stent always held the advantage and inside running, but Master Lavros rallied …
Ohoka Texas syndicated
OHOKA TEXAS SYNDICATED Fast class pacer Ohoka Texas has changed hands and after racing in NZ until the end of January, will then look for opportunities in Australia. Ohoka Texas has been syndicated by Australian-based former Christchurch racing enthusiast Phil McHerron, after a proposed sale to North America fell through. The 5YO Christian Cullen-Millwood Touche entire will continue to race from the Mark Jones stable until his departure. Mr McHerron, who relocated to Benowa on Queensland’s Gold Coast in April, returned to Christchurch to finalise the purchase of Ohoka Texas for a syndicate of 10. He has raced horses over the …
NZ Cup Week ‘Lavros” double
CUP WEEK ‘LAVROS’ DOUBLE Master Lavros confirmed he’s an excitement machine with a final mile in 1:58.9 and a closing 800m in 56.7s to win again with removable hood still intact at Addington on Show day. The giant-sized Sundon gelding made it a winning Cup week double for owner Kypros Kotzikas and Burnham trainer-driver Mark Jones. This time he again stepped brilliantly off the unruly to lead throughout, taking out the $14,999 Lone Star Riccarton Handicap Trot by 3 1/2 lengths from trailer Yankee One, stopping the timer in 3:21 for the entire 2600m. The $1.50 win favourite wasn’t …
Master Lavros wins at Cup trials
MASTER LAVROS WINS AT CUP TRIALS Master Lavros began swiftly and was untroubled to win at the NZ Cup trials on Wednesday, November 7. He soon led and drew clear to win untested in in 3:25.3 (2600m stand), picking up the tempo over his last 800m in 59s and his closing 400m in 29.6s. He has been ticking over nicely since gaining a penalty-free junior drivers win for Regan Todd at Rangiora on September 20. The big 4YO Sundon gelding is raced by Kyros Kotzikas, who enjoyed a stellar 1997 New Zealand Cup day winning the big race with Iraklis. …
Badjelly’s Courage scores in NSW
BADJELLYS COURAGE SCORES The Mark Jones Racing Stables notched their first NSW win with Badjellys Courage, who cleared out to win by 15.4 metres at the Bathurst twilight meeting on Wednesday, August 22. The Courage Under Fire-Badjelly The Wytch gelding was sent out a hot $1.50 favourite in the hands of Regan Todd and was untroubled to lead throughout to win in a comfortable 2:03.3 rate for the 1730m. He quickened over his last 800m in 60.9s and his final 400m in 29.6s to take out the $A5000 Shannon Springs Two-Year-Old Pace for his maiden victory. “The stable is going …
Princeton sold to WA interests
PRINCETON SOLD TO WEST AUSTRALIAN INTERESTS Last-start Rangiora winner Princeton is to do his future racing in West Australia. The Bettor’s Delight gelding is to join the stables of Greg and Skye Bond after being sold by former owners, Max, Frances and Lyndon Bowden. He raced 24 times for the Jones stable for four wins, seven placings, and $28,156 in stakes. Princeton provided co-owners Max and Frances Bowden with a change of luck when he regained winning form in the 2-wins Sefton Mobile Pace at Rangiora on Sunday, July 1. Max added the win was satisfying as the horse had …
NZ FFA reduced to 1609m
MET CHANGES FFA DISTANCE TO 1609M The New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club is to reduce the distance of the Woodlands New Zealand Free-For-All on Show day, 2012, to 1609m (metric mile). The Group One NZ Free-For-All was previously been run over 2000m (or 1 1/4 miles), but the Met wants to turn the feature Cup week sprint into a mile dash, following improvements to the camber at the 1609m start point. The NZ Free-For-All has been run over one mile eight consecutive times, but 85 years ago. Racing Manager Brian Rabbitt said: “Cup week in Christchurch is the …