LIBERTY ROSE WINS NEAR STATUE OF LIBERTY Former Overport Lodge filly/mare, Liberty Rose (5m Mach Thre-Lyse Doucet, by Holmes Hanover-Patsy McCreedy) continues to advance internationally. A runner-up on debut to Miss Ethel Sunshine in a 2Y0 Sires Stakes Fillies Heat at Addington in February 2027, she was sold after winning her maiden at Roxburgh in January, 2018, for the Mark Jones stable. She quickly found form in West Australia, winning five of her first eight Perth starts. She added another WA win before being American bound with around $90,000 in the bank and a 1:55.6 winning 3YO mark over 2130m …
Easy southern win for Plutonium Lady
Based on her formline Plutonium Lady should never have been paying $1.35 to win her maiden at Winton. But Mark Jones knew better than anyone those odds were probably a fair reflection of her chances, a 27.8 final 400m with the hood still on and driver Blair Orange unmoved quite solid proof. “She has always impressed me. A filly that I liked a lot from the start,” said Mark. “I think the way she won shows what she can do. We’re hoping this will lead to her being up to the better fillies later in the season and the Oaks …
The Bus stops of at Rasmussen’s
Big winner for Jones stable joins Kylie Rasmussen Last-start winner The Bus has enjoyed a week off at a spelling farm and has now joined the stable of Kylie Rasmussen in Brisbane to continue his campaign. The brother to Saveapatrol bowed out a winner for the Mark Jones-Aaron Goadsby stable at Albion Park on August 24, rating 1:53.7 for the 1660m. And he headed to Kylie Rasmussen on Monday, with some goals in mind if he fronts up to the big players. “It was a good time to send him to Kylie – I think she’s quite excited to get …
The Bus rates 1:53.7
He was left in the death-seat the entire trip but classy entire The Bus proved too strong for them again at Albion Park on Saturday night (August 25). He rated a slick 1:53.7 for the 1660m, wide to parked on a quick 27.6 opening stanza, then home in 56.8 to post win 15 from start 52 for owner Grant Hatton and the Trans Tasman training partnership of Mark Jones and Aaron Goadsby. The Art Major brother to former star pacer Saveapatrol has won eight races in Australia this season and $57,35 in stakes taking a 1:51.0 winning mile time at …
Smoke N Reactor wins bonus – and grabs bonus win
Mark was not anticipating the result to be so good – but he wasn’t about to be disappointed. Having set Smoke n Reactor one final task of a tough five-week campaign he was quite happy to scoop up the $7000 Met Multiplier bonus and head home. But the speedy Auckland Reactor mare had other ideas. Settling three-deep and pushed to four back, driver Sam Ottley showed great patience to take a break for luck and it came, a split along the inside marker line paving way to late success in overhauling King Of Heroes near the line. That added another …
Uptown Lady leads way at Addington – Albion Park team of four
ADDINGTON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22 RACE 4 KOWHAI SUNDOWN (4, fr. 2600m stand) Sam Ottley -“He would need to trot all the way this week. The return to the stand could be a query. A place chance if he does things right,” said Mark. RACE 7 UPTOWN LADY (1, fr. 1980m mob) Sam Ottley & NAIYA FRANCO (3) Ricky May – “Uptown Lady should be that bit better from last week, still perhaps the half-run short after a hiccup. Drawn to likely trail and she should go well there. Naiya Franco was disappointing last week. She can do that from time …
Mares lead the way at Addington
ADDINGTON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 RACE 1 KOWHAI SUNDOWN (3, FR, 1980m mob) Sam Ottley – A while since he’s raced. I thought we may as well be here for $10,000 than be going to the trials. May need it but looks like the right sort of race,” said Mark. RACE 3 UPTOWN LADY (6, fr, 2600m mob) Olivia Thornley, & NAIYA FRANCO (8) John Morrison – Uptown Lady has been racing pretty well. Forget the stand start miss last time. She looks a solid chance in that one. Naiya Franco is well graded, finds a good race and the 2600m …
High hopes for Willison – an after-Christmas prospect
Mark Jones will take the easier road with smart Gore-winning three-year-old Willison (3g Bettor’s Delight – Classical Art) in the early stages of the season, and will let the horse tell him when he’s ready for something a bit tougher. An expensive buy out of the APG Sales in Sydney, the regally-bred pacer showed all the ability needed in his two-year-old campaign, but was lightly raced due to a simple lack of maturity. And Jones won’t be rushed into getting him to his very top until he’s ready for it, probably come Derby time next autumn. “He’ll have a couple …
Two Albion Park wins for stable – two for Hatton
The Bus broke back into the winners circle and completed a big day for owner Grant Hatton in winning at Albion Park on Saturday night (Aug 10). Sent forward from gate three by driver Guy Chapple, The Bus made his way to the lead inside the opening 800m and was in control from that point, rating 1:56.0 (2138m) and home in 1:57.1 his final mile. https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=AP100819 After a rocky run of form wince winning at Menangle in March, The Bus looks set to kick into gear in Queensland for the Mark Jones-Aaron Goadsby stable. Hatton bagged his second winner of …
Gore to Auckland for Team Jones
Mark Jones has runners racing at both ends of the country, and somewhere in the middle this week in a continuation of a busy little time for the stable. The winter racing team are in great heart, winning numerous races over the last few weeks, and Mark has high hopes he can add another one or two to the list. ALEXANDRA PARK (FRIDAY, AUG 9) RACE 2 – MICHELLE (12, fr U5, 2700m stand) John Morrison – “She is not far away from winning one. Probably had to tinker a little with her on the foreign track but she has …