STRONG FAMILY TIES WITH LATEST WINNERS The Overport Lodge stables of Mark Jones have racked up their 30th and 31st domestic victories for the season at Forbury and Addington on July 18 and 19. My Design, a Mach Three half-sister to the capable Twice The Delight (1:52.3, Aust; 11 wins & $67,832), and three-win trotter Bet Online, won at just her second start. The win was satisfying as her path had been hindered by several issues. Sam Ottley drove a perfect race with My Design, leading early from the seven draw, then trailing Absolut Russian. The pacemaker was headed turning …
NZ & AUST., July 18-21
FORBURY PARK TC, Thursday, July 18 Race 3: MOLLY DOOKER (SCR) Race 4: HIS ROYAL HARNESS (2, Samantha Ottley), 2700m std: “Is on his last legs and needs to improve.” Race 5: MY DESIGN (7, Samantha Ottley), 2200m std: “Gets in the right race and a winning hope.” NZ METRO TC, Friday, July 19 Race 7: LETS HUSTLE (6, Korbyn Newman) & IMMORTAL CHANGE (7, Olivia Thornley), mob. 2600m: “Lets Hustle went terrible last week but with the right run can place.” “Immortal Change is an in and out type but an each-way chance.” RANGIORA HRC, Sunday, July 21 Race …
Sam returns, Sheree moves on
QUEENOFDANCE DOUBLE FOR SAM, SHEREE MOVES ON Big-winning reinswoman Samantha Ottley has celebrated a return this month to daily employment at Burnham for Mark Jones, with a winning double behind Queenofdance. Sam repeated her Rangiora win with Queenofdance on July 7, with another victory at Ashburton on Sunday. Between Rangiora and Ashburton, the in-form Queenofdance also ran third from a wide gate at Addington last Friday behind Warloch and Jonty James. She had to overcome a second row draw in the Farmlands Ashburton Social Club Mobile Pace on Sunday, improving with cover mid-race, launching four wide from the 400m. Queenofdance …
Southern race journalist dies
DON WRIGHT DIES, AGED 75 Don Wright, who 18 years ago penned “Win Without Boasting”, the hard book story of legendary horseman Derek Jones (grand-father of Mark Jones), has died. He was 75. Mr Wright, a racing/sports journalist for 48 years, retired after suffering health issues four years ago. He had been in care at Riverton and died on Sunday. He served for 33 years at the Southland Times newspaper until the year 2000, including the last six as Chief of Sport and Racing. Mr Wright was understudy to the late Norman Pierce for many years, writing under the non …
NZ & AUST, July 12-14
AUCKLAND TC, Friday, July 12 Race 6: MICHELLE (5, Tony Herlihy), UR 2, fr, 2700m std: “Is going good races and an each-way chance again.” NZ METRO TC, Friday, July 12 Race 2: SMOKE N REACTOR (2, Terry Chmiel), mob. 1980m: “Racing good and gets a draw, but in an even field.” Race 4: IMMORTAL CHANGE (4, Bob Butt) & LETS HUSTLE (5, Stephen McNally) & QUEENOFDANCE (8, Samantha Ottley), mob. 1980m: “Immortal Change should be improved from Sunday, and an upset chance.” “Lets Hustle has the blinds on to roll forward and a strong chance.” “Queenofdance scored a good …
Stable quinella at Rangiora
QUEENOFDANCE ADDS TO WINNING FAMILY Queenofdance, reined by Overport Lodge reinswoman Sam Ottley, and Lets Hustle, driven by Stephen McNally, provided a rare quinella for the Mark Jones stable at Rangiora on Sunday, July 7. Winner Queenofdance is the second winner from her unraced dam Mary Niven to race and win for the Overport Lodge team. Queenofdance follows Rocknroll Nevin, who won twice for the Jones-Ottley combo in her three-year-old racing. Rocknroll Nevin added a four-year-old win when for Westport co-owner Robert Higgins when he prepared her to dead-heat with Clarendon Falcon at the Westport meeting in March last year. …
Sarah O’Reilly wins series
SARAH O’REILLY WINS NZ YOUNG DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP The 2019 McMillan Equine Feeds NZ Junior Driver Champion has been found. Congratulations to Sarah O’Reilly who finished the Championship on 38 points. Second placing was taken out by Kimberly Butt and third place was John Morrison. The South Island team were successful in taking out the InterIsland Challenge on 187 points. The championship was a hard fought contest with first place to sixth place only having one point between each placing. “I am very overwhelmed that I won because I really didn’t expect to. I would like to thank all of the …
Gimmefiveminutesmore, yes
GIMMEFIVEMINUTESMORE REPEATS IN CLAIMER FINAL Gimmefiveminutesmore, aided by a smart front-running drive by Southland reinsman Brent Barclay, brought up the 27th win for the Mark Jones stable at Forbury on Thursday, July 4. The front-running role has lifted Gimmefiveminutesmore to back-to-back Forbury wins in his latest claimer racing over sprint trips. The four-year-old Christian Cullen gelding held well again, this time over 2200m, holding The Night Hawk by three-quarters of a length in the Forbury Claimers Series Final. Gimmefiveminutesmore, the half-brother to former NZ 3YO mile record-holder, Kotare Mach (1:53), paced Thursday’s trip in 2:44.2 (2:00.1 mile rate), quickening over …
EYRE I GO CHANGES STABLE
EYRE I GO TRANSFERS TO JEREMY YOUNG Eyre I Go, one of two winners last week for the Mark Jones stable, taking his seasonal tally to 26, will step out at Auckland on Friday in the Jeremy Young colours. “He’s staying up there for a while and he (Jeremy) is doing the work with him, so he deserves to be in his name,” said Mark Jones. Eyre I Go is bred to be above average being a three-year-old brother to New Zealand mobile 2600m record holder and 2017 Group One NZ Trotting Championship winner Eyre I Come (10 wins from …
NZ & AUST., July 4-7
FORBURY PARK TC, Thursday, July 4 Race 4: GIMMEFIVEMINUTESMORE (4, Brent Barclay), mob. 2200m: “Finally stole one last week and an each-way chance again in claim series.” AUCKLAND TC, Friday, July 5 Race 7: MICHELLE (13, Tony Herlihy), UR 3, 10m, 2200m std: “She will be better for last week’s run and a winning hope.” NZ METRO TC, Friday, July 5 Race 1: UPTOWN LADY (12, Samantha Ottley), mob. 1980m: “Racing good but can’t buy a draw. The Bagrie horse looks the winner but she is the danger to him.” Race 4: RANGER BOMB (9, Samantha Ottley) & WILLISON (13, …