Category Archive

ADDINGTON, FEBRUARY 14, RACE NIGHT CANCELLED Following on from the decision of the New South Wales Harness Racing Club and Harness Racing New South Wales to no longer conduct the Inter Dominion Qualifying Heat scheduled to be run at Addington Raceway on Saturday February 14, the New Zealand Metropolitan have elected not to proceed with the scheduled race meeting for that night. This meeting has previously only been held to support the running of the Inter Dominion Heat and with the heat abandoned it leaves the entire event at a financial level where the Club is not prepared to proceed …

JOHNNY FOX DELIVERS CUTTING BREEZE IN INVERCARGILL CUP Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones pulled off a satisfying training coup by transforming Johnny Fox into a G3 $40,000 Invercargill Cup winner on Saturday, January 24. Johnny Fox’s career was at the crossroads after choking down badly on NZ Cup day in November, but a brief spell and the addition of an anti-choking device has turned him around. The 6YO Western Terror gelding is relaxing in his races and growing in confidence. So much so, he added a new string to his bow by moving up in the open over the last …

IMPRESSIVE INVERCARGILL WINNER TO CHASE RICHES Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones is considering the $A200,000 New South Wales Oaks for exciting filly Rocker Band. The NSW Oaks have $A20,000 heats scheduled at Menangle on February 21, with the final on March 1. “Greg Brodie (Queensland owner) is keen on her to go for it,” said trainer Mark Jones. “First, we have to see if we pay the late payment for the Nevele R Fillies Series. We’ll be guided by Ricky (May’s) thoughts but it looks like we’ll pay it,” he said. Rocker Band, the daughter of Rocknroll Hanover and 2005 …

JOHNNY FOX TOO SMART IN NELSON CUP PRELUDE & CUP Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones could head south for the Group Three $40,000 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup (3200m) on January 24 with Nelson Cup winner Johnny Fox. “He’s going great. We may look at the Invercargill Cup or something like that.” “Its just a bit harder to place him as a six-win horse now,” he said. Mark Jones will attempt to extend a winning habit as a trainer in the Invercargill Cup, should Johnny Fox return south. Mark has won two of the last three Invercargill Cups, with Ohoka …

PERISSA HOLDS IN 1:56.4 RATE (2000m) A minor training setback didn’t stop the strong summer form of Perissa, who came up with a career best run time-wise, to win a C1 pace at Rangiora on December 31, 2014, in the hands of trainer-driver Mark Jones. The 5YO Art Major-Riwaka Star mare made the most of the conditions at Rangiora to take out the Stevie Golding Sponsored by ‘The Yaldy’ Mobile Pace in a smart 2:24.8 (1:56.4 mile rate) for the mobile 2000m. Her time was the fastest recorded of any winner at the Rangiora Raceway. She lowered the mares mark, …

TROT RELATIVES CLOSE 2014 WITH WINS Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones kept the wins ticking over for owner Kypros Kotzikas with a winning double earlier this week to end the 2014 racing year. He scored narrow wins behind close relatives, Charming Lavra, at Motukarara on Monday, December 29, and with Astrapi, at Rangiora on New Year’s Eve. Charming Lavra, first-up since last racing in June, stepped well from the outside of the front row and trailed up three back on the outer in the Phil Murfitt Orthodontist Trot. Mark switched her three wide with cover behind Native’s Brite Gem at …

NEW $40,000 PGG WRIGHSTON HARNESS ‘5000’, JANUARY 30 NZMTC – Friday January 30, 2015 (Press release, December 19, 2014) This is a totally new concept for the harness racing industry. Harness 5000 is a race limited to the progeny of sire’s who stood at an advertised fee of $5000 or less (see guideline list below of eligible Pacing Sires). Eligibility is for those 3YO pacers who were nominated for the NZ Sires’ Stakes #31 as foals or the NZ Yearling Sales Series #23. Where any horse was not nominated, if their sire was nominated for Sires’ Stakes a late entry …

ROCKIN CULLEN ENDS RACE CAREER ON HIGH Rockin Cullen ended up her race career on a high by taking out the $9915 Stunin Cullen Sprint Series Final over 1200m at Forbury on Thursday, December 17. The 5YO daughter of Christian Cullen and Idancedallnight, racing in foal to top sire Bettor’s Delight, justified her favouritism from the two gate in the hands of Kimberly Butt. She had enough gate speed to cross Sunnivue Bay Boy and after being pressured by Canderel from the 800m, Rockin Cullen kept finding enough to hold strong late finisher Alexy by a head, with Sicilian Secret …

GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME FORWARD IN WORKOUT Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones has capable mare Goodness Gracious Me warming up for the summer circuit. Goodness Gracious Me, first-up since July, ran Willow close at the Rangiora workouts on Wednesday, December 3. The 4YO Christian Cullen mare is the winner of four from 23 starts, but reverts to the C2 grade with dropback age group concessions. She trailed three back for Mark behind the Allstars stablemates Willow and Linda Lovegrace in the C2-4 mobile heat on Wednesday. Goodness Gracious Me may have headed Willow in the run home before the latter kicked …

EYRE I COME FRESHENED AFTER MINOR SETBACK Promising Overport Lodge squaregaiter Eyre I Come is having two weeks off after a minor paddock incident ruled him out of racing last weekend. “When I went out to get him on the morning of the race I found him caught in a fence,” said trainer Mark Jones. “He was ok the next day. I probably could have started him but it wasn’t worth taking any risks.” Mark will target the $25,000 Four & Five-Year-Old Trotting Championship at Addington on March 20 with the impressive NZ Cup day intermediate trot winner. Eyre I …