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 …
Commander Jewel trials solidly
JEWEL TRIALS FOR ADDINGTON Commander Jewel trialled solidly at Motukarara on Tuesday, April 19, in preparation for a return to racing at Addington on Saturday. The CR Commando filly was transferred to a non-win trot, starting off 20m over the 2200m trip. After beginning fairly, she worked into a handy spot on the outer turning for home and was not hurried in the run home to run front-running Lord Nelson to a head. Lord Nelson, trained by Murray Edmonds, trotted the 2200m in 3:00.6, the leaders quickening over their last 800m in 63.4s and their final 400m in 31.1s …
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. …
Holme Fire wins Sires Fillies Heat
HOLME FIRE UPSETS FAVOURITE Holme Fire, a sister to Inter Dominion hope Pembrook Benny (1:53.6), booked a place in the $170,000 Magness Benrow NZ Sires Stakes Final at Auckland on May 6 after a top debut win in the $18,000 Heat at Rangiora on Wednesday, March 23. “She has kept getting better,” said Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones. “I can’t fault her. If she had disappointed me she would have gone to the paddock but she’s stepped up every time and thats all I can ask,” he said. Mark booked Anthony Butt for the drive after paying up with …
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 …
NZ Metro feature race schedule
NZ METRO RACE SCHEDULE The New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club (NZMTC) have released a change in dates for a number of feature races this season. These changes have been necessitated as a result of the 2011 Christchurch Casino Inter Dominion Championships being transferred to Alexandra Park, Auckland. The feature races that have had a change in date are as follows: 30/03/2011: PGG NZ Sales 3YO Fillies Final $175,000 (originally scheculed 25/03/2011). 23/04/2011: Renwick Joinery Pacers FFA $25,000 (originally 18/03/2011). 23/04/2011: NZ Derby 3YO Pacers $200,000 (originally 8/04/2011). 23/04/2011: Welcome Stakes 2YO Pacers $80,000 (originally 8/04/2011). 23/04/2011: Canterbury Country Cups …
Game seconds in Cheviot features
OVERPORT LODGE RUNNERS SETTLE FOR SECOND Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones was pleased with the debut runnerup effort of P-Forty-Seven filly Glenferrie Magic behind unbeaten Dancing Diamonds in the Group Three “American Ideal” Stakes at the Cheviot meeting at Rangiora on Sunday, March 6. Mark made the most of the one barrier leading up, then getting pressured for the lead from the 800m to the home turn. Dancing Diamonds, parked before gaining a breather behind the improving Here We Go Again beginning the final 800m, cruised home to make it four from four for the Mark Purdon/Grant Payne-trained daughter …
Inters for Auckland
INTERS FOR AUCKLAND The 2011 Christchurch Casino Inter Dominion Championships will be run by “The Met” at Alexandra Park in Auckland on Friday March 25 March, Friday April 1, and the Grand Final Meeting on Friday April 8. In announcing the change at midday on Wednesday March 2, NZ Metropolitan TC Chairman David Rankin advised that a key consideration for “The Met” was the safety of patrons and staff at the Addington Raceway venue in Christchurch. “An Engineer’s report on key building structures at Addington received on Tuesday reveals that our large Public Stand has some structural issues …