MASTER LAVROS MAKES JEWELS Burnham trainer Mark Jones will drive Master Lavros, one of two NZ 2YO trot record holders he has qualified for for the Harness Jewels $100,000 Neumann’s Tyres and The Tyre General 2YO Ruby at Ashburton on June 4. Master Lavros joined 2YO mobile male record holder Beau Brummell in the starting line-up after posting a NZ record for a 2YO trotter over the 2600m distance from a stand at Oamaru on Sunday, May 22.A huge gelding by Sundon, Master Lavros trotted the distance in 3:31.5 on Sunday, shaving 1.1 seconds off the former long-time mark …
“Jewel” wins NZ Trotting Oaks
COMMANDER JEWEL TOO GOOD IN OAKS Mark Jones furthered a good association with Oxford owner “Jim” McDonald when they won the $25,000 “Dream With Me Stables” NZ Trotters Trust NZ Trotting Oaks with Commander Jewel at Addington on Saturday, May 14. The combination enjoyed good success with former smart mare Crystal Star (11 wins and $148,406), and also won four races last year with Skip Bo. McDonald, a brother of the late Bill McDonald (of Starship fame), selected Commander Jewel from the NZ Yearling Sales two years ago. “I’ve always wanted a trotter. I bred from Racey …
Sarkozy wins treble
SARKOZY NOTCHES HAT-TRICK Sarkozy’s good manners from a stand again helped him to notch his third win on end at the Rangiora meeting on May 8. Mark had him handily placed handy on the outer over the first lap of the 1-2 win Goodwin Contracting Pace, then sent him to the front beginning the last lap. The promising McArdle gelding dashed clear turning for him and he did enough to hold late-closing second favourite Far Too Rusty by a neck in 3:17.4 (2600m stand), a mile rate of 2:02.1. Sarkozy ran his last 800m in 57.9s …
‘Magic’ Out of Sires Stakes Final
‘MAGIC’ OUT OF FINAL Overport trainer Mark Jones has been left with only one starter _ Holme Fire _ in the $170,000 Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes Fillies championship at Auckland on Friday night, May 6. Stablemate Glenferrie Magic was withdrawn on Tuesday after suffering from muscle tie-up, the end result of waiting in Blenheim for three-four days then having a rough ferry crossing from Picton to Wellington. “Its a shame because she was as good as we could get her before she went up,” said trainer Mark Jones. Mark said she would have been very hard to beat …
Beau Brummell sets NZ record
BEAU BRUMMELL TROTS NZ 2YO RECORD Beau Brummell, the first of four winning drives for Burnham driver Mark Jones at Timaru on Sunday, May 1, surprised with a New Zealand record win for a two-year-old colt or gelding squaregaiter. The Earl gelding’s good manners helped him capitalise on a perfect trail to take out the Opihi Vineyard Juvenile Mobile Trot. Beau Brummell finished determinedly along the inner to wear down first-starter Another Love in 2:34.4 for the mobile 2000m, a mile rate of 2:04.2. His time was 0.4 inside the month old mark set by Flying Isa at Rangiora …
Mark has two in final
MARK QUALIFIES TWO FOR FILLIES FINAL Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones scored top-end and tail wins on the Forbury Park programme on April 21 with Glenferrie Magic and OK Courage. Glenferrie Magic will join stablemate Holme Fire in the $170,000 Magness Benrow NZ Sires Stakes Final at Auckland on May 6 after scoring comfortably in a $14,000 non-tote Sires heat at Forbury on Thursday night. The P-Forty-Seven filly overcame the outside six barrier. “She sat parked over the last 1100m and won easy,” Mark said. “I was expecting Shezanelsu to be a bit of a danger but she galloped …
Smart 2YO fillies on move
SMART FILLIES ON MOVE By Stu Bailey Smart 2yo fillies Glenferrie Magic and Holme Fire head to different ends of the country this week. Glenferrie Magic will start at Forbury Park on Thursday night against five others in the non-tote $14,000 Magness Benrow Sires Stakes Heat, while ever-improving Courage Under Fire filly Holme Fire left her Burnham base on Monday for Gareth Dixon’s Clevedon barn to settle in for next month’s $170,000 Magness Benrow Sires Stakes Final on May 6 at Alexandra Park. Both had a good hit-out at last Saturday’s Rangiora workouts, with Glenferrie Magic clocked home in …
Jackaroozy sold
JACKAROOZY FOR NSW Queensland owner Greg Brodie has sold the diminuitive but game Jackaroozy to New South Wales interests. Trainer Mark Jones says the Courage Under Fire gelding is following former stablemate Atom Of Courage, after being sold to New South Wales horsewoman Ashlee Seijka. Atom Of Courage has won five of 10 starts since heading to Sydney, including a swift 1:54.2 mile win at Menangle on March 12. “He sat parked last week at Menangle and won again (1:59.7 rate, 2300m), so he’s going good for them,” Mark said. “The stablehands here are killing me for …
Fillies for Invercargill
FILLIES FOR INVERCARGILL Burnham trainer Mark Jones is heading to Invercargill on Saturday March 26 with promising fillies, 3YO Rockabella, and 2YO Glenferrie Magic. Rockabella, recently secured for Queensland owner Greg Brodie, was the star trialist at Rangiora on Wednesday, March 16. The qualified but unraced Art Major filly came from last of the eight starters to win on Wednesday to win a useful 2:30 (2:00.6 mile rate), being timed by her trainer-driver to go well inside 56 seconds for her last 800m. “I wasn’t going to pull her out but Ken Barron’s one galloped ahead of me. …
Final Inter rankings
FINAL INTER RANKINGS Four-time Inter Dom pacing champ Blacks A Fake has maintained his No. 1 ranking for the upcoming 2011 Christchurch Casino Inter Dominion Pacing Championship, which begin at Alexandra Park, Auckland, on March 25. Blacks A Fake heads the rankings ahead of two-time NZ Cup winner Monkey King, and Auckland Cup winner Themightyquinn. Mr Feelgood, a courageous runnerup to The Mightyquinn in the Auckland Cup on March 11, and winner of the 2009 Gold Coast Inter Dominion Pacing Championship, is ranked fourth. Final rankings, released on Monday, March 14, are: 1 Blacks A Fake (Aus), 2 …