EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR UPCOMING SALES WELCOMED Group One-winning Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones has identified yearlings for purchase at the upcoming NZ Yearling Sales and is seeking expressions of interest for owners to join the stable. “We’ll be buying at the sales so new owners are welcome,” Mark said. The yearlings will be developed with the prospect of making a profit for his owners over the next 12-18 months. Mark has a history of selling quality horses, such as smart filly/mare Rocker Band (1:53.5, seven wins from 19 starts for $66,472), who he sold unraced to good Queensland stable …
Rocker Band over-races & runs third in Championship
ROCKER BAND HAS TO SETTLE FOR THIRD IN $40,000 MARES RACE Rocker Band was so well she over-raced and cost herself a win in the $40,000 Garrards Horse & Hound Premier Mares Championship at Addington on Friday, February 12. However, the Mark Jones-trained favourite was far from disgraced with her third in a swift run after getting up on the nickel at despatch point. Driver Samantha Ottley eased Rocker Band from her wide gate but had to let her get on the three wide train beginning the last lap. Rocker Band crossed to the markers ahead of Lightning Mach at …
‘Angel’, My Hard Copy, get last two spots
ARMS OF AN ANGEL, MY HARD COPY, LAST TWO IN MIRACLE MILE A fabulous finish to grab third in the Chariots Of Fire by star four-year-old mare Arms Of An Angel has earned her one of the final invitations into the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile. And Western Australia will have a contender as well after the well-performed My Hard Copy earned the last invitation into the $A750,000 Sprint on February 28. Lord Zin Zan (1st emergency) and Easy On The Eye (2nd emergency) were added to the final field, should any runner be scratched in the next two weeks. Earlier …
Have Faith In Me next Miracle superstar
HAVE FAITH IN ME NEXT MIRACLE SUPERSTAR ? Champion NZ training partnership of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen missed a start with Smolda in the Miracle Mile, but they will be there anyway, thanks to boom four-year-old Have Faith In Me. The beautifully-bred son of Bettors Delight turned the February 13, 2016, $A200,000 For 700 Chariots of Fire into a one-act affair, smashing the clock and becoming the fastest four-year-old to race at Tabcorp Park Menangle with a 1:48.8 mile. Natalie took the reins and Have Faith In Me simple blitzed his rivals, scoring untouched by 10.3m from Lord Zin …
Beautide makes it one-act affair
BEAUTIDE MAKES IT ONE ACT AFFAIR AT MENANGLE OK, OK, so we all expected it. And the way Beautide dealt with his rivals in the Coca-Cola Amatil Sprint at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday February 13, 2016, he must have expected it too. Certainly Beautide and his reinsman James Rattray gave nothing else a chance as they cemented their invitation to the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile win an easy 4.4m win over another of the night’s surprise packets in Blazin N Cullen, with the gallant Easy On The Eye a close third. Beautide really gave nothing else a chance, burning …
Monifieth hits top gear to grab Miracle berth
MONIFIETH PACES 1:50.7 IN MENANGLE VICTORY Talented seven-year-old former Canterbury pacer Monifieth slipped under the guard of most punters at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday, February 13, 2016. And the $18 shot slipped under the guard of boom five-year-old Bling It On as well, to snatch a last-stride victory in the $200,000 Cordina Chicken Farms Sprint and secure the second spot, behind Lennytheshark in the SEW Eurodrive Miracle Mile later this month. Bling It On, who made a mid-race dash and found the front failed by a half head to hold off Monifieth although his second placing also assured him …
Frith back to glorious best at Menangle
FRITH BACK TO GLORIOUS BEST AT MENANGLE Mighty mare Frith bounced back to her brilliant best with an all-the-way win to take out the first feature of a stellar night’s harness racing at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday, February 13, 2016, in the $50,000 Group Two Therese Cordina Sibelia Stakes. Blessed with the gate speed to easily cross and find the front from gate three for star young reinsman Todd McCarthy, Frith reeled off a 27.7s first quarter of the mile to ensure nothing was going to challenge the six-year-old mare for the lead. After a 29.5s second split, the …
Kowhai Whiz could return to Palmy
RETURN TO PALMERSTON NORTH LIKELY FOR KOWHAI WHIZ Kowhai Whiz enjoyed Palmerston North so much last week with a winning double that he may return for next week’s next two-day Manawatu meeting (Tuesday Feb. 16 & Thursday, Feb. 18). The 7YO Now Another Look-Surprising gelding scored back-to-back wins in the hands of Robbie Close at both the Manawatu and Wairarapa meetings, run three days apart, last week (February 4 & 7). Robbie took all the shortcuts from the 20m line with an inside run four back at the 400m with Kowhai Whiz on February 4. He angled off the back …
Chariots shapes as match race
CHARIOTS SHAPING AS A MATCH RACE It’s shaping as a match-race between two of the quickest pacers to race in Australasia. And two of the best reinswomen ever to grace the Tabcorp Park Menangle circuit will be in the ‘hotseats’. The $200,000 Form 700 Chariots Of Fire should ensure a big crowd at Menangle on Saturday night as Miracle Mile invitations go on the line. Star New Zealand-based driver Natalie Rasmussen is here to partner one of Mark Purdon’s stable stars in Have Faith In Me, who has drawn gate 11 and should come into 10 when the first emergency, Admiral …
San Fran Lady still winning in USA
SAN FRAN LADY NOTCHES 30TH CAREER WIN IN USA Former Overport Lodge mare San Fran Lady continues to make her mark in North America as a 9YO to NZ time, and now a 10-year-old to Northern Hemisphere time. The Live Or Die-Emcil mare scored at Dover Downs, Delaware, on January 31, leading throughout a $US6000 conditioned pace to win in 1:53.6 (10ths) for her first win in four starts in 2016. She gets a chance to further her record from the ace barrier in a $US8500 fillies and mares pace at Dover Downs on February 9 for the Steve Le …