Category Archive

MASTER LAVROS SURVIVES ‘BEST’ INQUIRY IN ROWE CUP Top horseman Mark Jones was confident Master Lavros would be declared Rowe Cup champion before entering the inquiry room at Alexandra Park, Auckland, on Friday, May 10. Dexter Dunn, driving runnerup Sheemon, put in a protest after Master Lavros drifted outwards under pressure in the run home, but there wasn’t enough in it to change the result. Mark says the professionalism of all participants in the inquiry was pleasing. “Not just because I won, but it was probably one of the best inquiries I’ve been involved with,” he said. “Everyone stuck to …

SMOKE N SANTANNA SHOULD DEVELOP AT THREE Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones will give last week’s maiden winner Smoke N Santanna his chance in next week’s 2YO Garrards Sires Stakes Silver before tipping him out till next term. “Hopefully he’ll be in the Consolation and then the paddock,” Mark said. “He’s a very nice horse but its scary how good the two-year-olds are this season. “He’ll be better at three,” he said. Smoke N Santanna, a son of the smart racemare Smoke N Mirrors (10 wins for $189,675 in stakes), justified his $1.90 favourtism against the older maidens in the …

MACHS A FLYIN OUTSIDE HOPE OF JEWELS CUT Its been a wonderful ride already for the YOR ! Racing with Mark Jones Syndicate with Machs A Flyin and providing he’s not sold in the interim, he could realise a harness racing syndicate dream this month. Machs A Flyin is currently 17th on the list of eligibles for the Harness Jewels 4YO Emerald at Cambridge on May 31. The son of Mach Three and Flying Sands (11 wins, 1:56.5, 1950m) can stake his claim further in Friday’s $23,500 Christian Cullen Super Series Open Graduation Mobile Pace at Addington. He has a …

MASTER LAVROS SETS RECORD IN  $80,000 NZ TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP A New Zealand record run by top squaregaiter Master Lavros in the $80,000 Fred Shaw Memorial NZ Trotting Championship at Addington on Friday, April 11, has earned him a Auckland Rowe Cup trip. Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones was considering spelling the 5YO Sundon gelding but Friday’s performance has Master Lavros in the frame to attempt a Dominion-Rowe double. “I was rapt with him. At this stage, I will head to the Rowe Cup and look at the Greenlane Cup ($30,000) the week before the Rowe ($150,000, May 9), then the …

ADDINGTON STAKES UP BY $1 MILLION SINCE 2012 Wednesday 26 March, 2014 The New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club (NZMTC) is delighted to report that its latest projections have it on target to pay-out a total of $7.2 million in stakes and bonuses for the 2013-14 racing season. This forecasted pay-out is an increase of 12% on the 2012-13 season and an increase of 16% or $1 million on the $6.2 million paid out for the 2011-12 season. The increases have been distributed across the grades for both pacers and trotters by way of new initiatives and general stakes growth introduced …

MASTER LAVROS THROUGH FIRST OF THREE MOBILE TRIALS Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones had mixed feelings after Master Lavros left the mobile gate without any problems at the Motukarara trials on Wednesday, March 19. Mark only had Master Lavros there to leave the gate safely then was pulled up out of the trial after the opening 400m. He has to trial three times to the satisfaction of the stipendiary stewards in NZ before being placed back in the draw. He was declared out of the draw (unruly) by Australian stewards after galloping from the gate in the Glenferrie Farm Challenge …

ADDINGTON PAYS OUT $187,500 WITH MET MULTIPLIER Addington’s Met Multiplier has proven extremely popular since its inception some 20 months ago. Twenty-five pacers or trotters have now earned the Met Multiplier bonus with $7500 paid out to each qualifying horse’s owners and trainers. The “Met Multiplier Honour Roll” shows harness horses right across the classes in both pacing and trotting gaits from a diversity of stables. Current total pay-out is at $187,500 for the new initiative. The scheme is designed to encourage trainers to support the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club (NZMTC) with a lucrative incentive for the connections. To …

CRAZY HEART DELIVERS AFTER THREE DAYS The YOR ! Racing With Mark Jones Syndicate scored the perfect result, after only three days as lessees, when Crazy Heart won the Signprint Fillies and Mares Mobile Pace at Forbury on Thursday, March 6. The syndicate obtained the lease of the 3YO Santanna Blue Chip filly from breeders, Frances and Max Bowden, after she ran a first-up seventh at Timaru on February 23. However, Crazy Heart stepped up a gear for the syndicate, powering home from three back on the outer with a well-timed finish in the hands of Blair Orange. Crazy Heart …

FLYING ISA SETS AUSTRALASIAN RECORD NZ-owned squaregaiter Flying Isa is the new Australasian mile trot record holder after a blazing front-running romp in 1:53.2 at Tabcorp Park, Menangle, on Tuesday, March 4. Flying Isa, now with the Belinda McCarthy stable, missed a start in last Sunday’s $A200,000 Glenferrie Farm Challenge as Keystone Del lowered the mile mark to 1:53.9 when holding Canterbury trotter Stent for his second consecutive Challenge win. However, Flying Isa, the former top two-year-old classic performer for north trainer John Dickie, returned to his former glory as a $1.30 favourite in Tuesday’s $A7000 Cordina Chickens Trotters Mile. …

MASTER LAVROS READY FOR SUNDAY CHALLENGE Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones couldn’t be happier with giant-sized squaregaiter Master Lavros after his first bowl around Tabcorp Park, Menangle, on Tuesday, February 25. Master Lavros went very close to the Australasian trot mile record of 1:54.3, set by Sundons Gift at Tabcorp Park, Menangle, of 1:54.3, in Tuesday’s trial. He was race-timed in 1:54.4 when finishing just over two lengths behind pacer Eternal Glory, without being asked for a supreme effort. Master Lavros mustered good speed from the ace barrier (same barrier for Sunday’s $A200,000 Glenferrie Farm Challenge), trailing Eternal Glory after …