DELIGHTFUL MEMPHIS DELIVERS FOR GROUP OF OWNERS Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones has kicked a goal for a group of owners, some of whom only entered the ownership of Delightful Memphis five days before her debut Group 3 win in the $25,000 ‘Sweet Lou’ Leonard Memorial Stakes at Addington on Sunday, February 28, 2016. Spokesman Pete Smith, who shares in the ownership with wife Debra, was thankful for the opportunity to race Delighful Memphis with Wayne Higgs, cricket commentator and former Black Caps NZ cricket representative Simon Doull, and other shareholders, Sir Loins Ltd, Kaysan Farming Ltd, and BM & …
NSW Oaks, Derby, & Bohemia Crystal to Allstars
DREAM SUCCESS FOR RASMUSSEN IN NSW OAKS Star reinswoman Natalie Rasmussen nominated (Our) Dream About Me as her ‘dream’ drive on a big Miracle Mile day program at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Sunday, February 28, 2016. And so it proved as the daughter of Bettors Delight toyed with her rivals for a devastating 9.6m win over Dodolicious and Art Mistress in the $A200,000 Form 700 NSW Oaks, the first of many Group Ones on the day. Rasmussen suggested the only thing that could beat the Mark Purdon-trained (Our) Dream About Me was bad luck in the fillies’ feature. Still the …
Have Faith In Me Australasia’s fastest
HAVE FAITH IN ME RUNS RECORD 1:47.5 IN MIRACLE MILE 1:47.5 . . . and Have Faith In Me! . . . .Remember that time and don’t forget that name because we’ll be talking about them for generations. That was the time four-year-old budding Kiwi superstar Have Faith In Me recorded in winning the $A750,000 SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile at Tabcorp Park, Menangle, on Sunday, February 28. It was a track record too, breaking Adore Me’s Australasian record 1:47.7 set in 2015. The only time harness racing fans were left guessing was at the finish when Have Faith In Me …
Mark ventures in Aus. yearling sales
TWO SYDNEY APG YEARLINGS SECURED FOR OVERPORT LODGE Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones extended his yearling stocks by venturing into the Australian Pacing Gold market at Randwick, Sydney, on Saturday, February 27, 2016. He secured two lots with strong NZ connections. They were a filly by Rock N Roll Heaven and the first foal from former classic-winning NZ filly 1:51.6 USA winner Joyfuljoy, for $65,000, and a Somebeachsomewhere colt from Trinny Bromac (Falcon Seelser-Tanisa Vance) for $47,000. Prepared by Matt Day, the Rock N Roll Heaven filly is eligible for the NSW Challenge, plus the Australasian Breeders Crown and Bathurst …
Mark buys three colts on second day in Christchurch
OVERPORT LODGE SECURES THREE COLTS FROM 2ND DAY SALES Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones secured three colts from the second day of the NZ Premier Yearling Sales in Christchurch on Wednesday, February 24. He went to $30,000 for Si Si Senor, a Courage Under Fire colt from a Falcon Seelster mare for $30,000. The colt, from the Jubilee Park, Cambridge, draft is from the same family as smart Canterbury winner and last season’s NZ Derby placegetter, Brilliant Strike (p3, 1:57.1 mile rate, 1950m). Earlier, he secured Roll Along Styx, a Rocknroll Hanover colt from seven-win Fake Left mare Walk This …
NZ Premier Yearling Sales details, Day One 2016
NZ PREMIER YEARLING SALES DETAILS, DAY ONE, 2016 Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones secured a half-sister by Changeover to promising stable 3YO Ice Crusher (two wins from six starts) for $7000 on the first day of the NZ Premier Yearling Sales in Christchurch on Tuesday. Offered by Lindenny Lodge, she is also a half-sister to Shak’n Cuillen (1:58.9) and Dashing Stride (p2, 1:59.6), being from the five-win mare Helena Kilena (1:57 mile rate, 1950m). Sales details from the first day of the NZ Premier Yearling Sales at the Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch on Tuesday, February 23, were: 152 A/c …
Australasian Classic Yearling Sales details, 2016
AUSTRALASIAN CLASSIC YEARLING SALES DETAILS, 2016 Sales details from the 2016 Australasian Classic Yearling Sale on Monday, February 22, were: 1 A/c R G Garr, Karaka & D G Kirkbridge, Pukekohe: Ready Change (Br f Rocknroll Hanover-Changedown), Terry Chmiel, Leeston, $42,500. 2 A/c Wairau Farm, Raglan: Rubens (B c Art Major-Club Sport), B Purdon, Clevedon, $75,000. 3 A/c Mrs. R A Balle, Pukekohe: Kimkar Dash (B f Skyvalley-Cool Kahli, passed, res. $10,000. 4 A/c Croon Bloodstock Ltd, Auckland: Cooking With Gas (B f Bettor’s Delight-Cullens Counsel), Gavin Smith, Ohoka, $12,000. 5 A/c Breckon Farms Ltd, Ohaupo: Popcorn Sutton (B c …
Barry Purdon’s Start Dreaming stars
BARRY (PURDON) TAKES A TURN IN THE SPOTLIGHT A different Purdon, big brother Barry, stoke the show back from his brother Mark at Menangle on Saturday February 20 in the $A50,000 Robin Dundee Classic as his promising mare Start Dreaming surged into the field for next week’s $200,000 Ladyship Mile. Mark Purdon had won earlier features in the night with the likes of (Our) Waikiki Beach and Smolda but the Robin Dundee was always going to be even more hotly contested with the first four assured of invitations into next Sunday’s Ladyship Mile. And as they crossed the line it …
Arms Of An Angels draws ace in Miracle Mile
‘ANGEL’ GETS DRAW FROM HEAVEN Even an Australian record run by Smolda minutes later failed to take anything away from a barrier draw that will make this year’s SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile one of the most keenly-contested in the race’s history. Former Kiwi mare Arms Of An Angel drew a gasp from the crowd and a cheer from connections when the four-year-old mare drew the coveted No 1 gate for next Sunday’s $A750,000 Group One. That should almost guarantee this will be the fastest Miracle Mile in history as her driver Lauren Panella looks likely to lower the handlebars and …
League hero Brett Stewart has NSW Derby runner
ZEE DANA THROWS DOWN NSW DERBY GAUNTLET Manly rugby league hero Brett Stewart has never shirked making a tackle . . . and now the pacer he part-owns, Zee Dana is set to do the same. The youngster threw the gauntlet down to New Zealand’s unbeaten superstar Our Waikiki Beach when he set a world-record time for 3YO colts and geldings on the way to smashing his rivals in the first heat of the New South Wales Derby at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday, February 20. Zee Dana stopped the clock at 2:51 for the mobile 2400m. A masterly drive …