ARIADNE LAVRA SHOWS FITNESS FOR NEVELE R FILLIES SERIES Promising Overport Lodge filly Ariadne Lavra is Ashburton-bound on Saturday for the first $14,999 Nevele R Fillies Heat after a sharp C1-2 win at Invercargill on Saturday, January 28. Ariadne Lavra, the only horse to defeat promising colt Raukapuka Ruler under race conditions, showed her fitness for this week with a classy south display. The daughter of Art Major and Hilarious Lavra settled sixth off the 20m line but some distance from the leader Highland Girl, who had them running from the outset. Driver Sam Ottley found a one-one sit on …
Trans-Tasman double for Greg Brodie
TRANS-TASMAN SATURDAY DOUBLE FOR QUEENSLAND OWNER Overport Lodge pacer Whittaker landed the first leg of a notable Australasian double for Southport (Queensland) owner Greg Brodie at Invercargill on Saturday. Mr Brodie’s colours were also to the fore with top mare Rocker Band at Melton, Victoria, on Saturday night, when she lowered her career best mile rate to 1:52.3 when winning a $18,000 M1-2 pace over 1720m. Rocker Band, taken across the Tasman for a crack at some feature mares races by Clevedon trainer Barry Purdon in February, will return to Mark Jones for breeding at the end of her race …
INVERCARGILL HRC-BANKS PENINSULA TC, January 28-29
INVERCARGILL HRC, Saturday, January 28 Race 4: WHITTAKER (4, Samantha Ottley), mob. 2200m: “Trialling nice. Drawn to lead and be very hard to beat.” Race 7: AYMAR (10, Samantha Ottley), mob. 1700m: “If she gets luck can upset.” Race 9: ARIADNE LAVRA (8, Samantha Ottley), 2, 20m, 2700m std: “Nice filly whose stand record is good and a strong chance.” BANKS PENINSULA TC, Sunday, January 29 Race 3: SAY YOUR PRES (8, Mark), 2170m std: “First up. Has the making of a nice horse in 11 months but unknown on grass.” Race 7: ARANNALEA (7, …
NZ METRO TC, Friday, January 27
NZ METRO TC, Friday, January 27 Race 4: GLENFERRIE CLASSIC (10, Samantha Ottley), mob. 1609m: The draw makes it near impossible over a stupid mile start on a bend.” Race 6: MASTER LAVROS (7, Mark), mob. 2600m: “His trial was just average last week. He’s the best horse in the field but I don’t think he is going as good as he can.” Race 9: EYRE I COME (6, Samantha Ottley) & KOWHAI MONARCH (7, Laura McKay), UR 1, 20m: “Eyre I Come has come though Auckland good and if he does things right is a winning chance.” …
TIMARU HRC-WYNDHAM HRC, January 18-20
TIMARU HRC, Wednesday, January 18 Race 2: BEST DEFENCE (6, Sheldon Murtha), mob. 2000m: “Looking for luck and an improved performance.” Race 4: ARANNALEA (9, Samantha Ottley), 2600m std: “Won well fresh-up. This is a jump in grade but if she does things right she’s a chance again.” Race 8: ICE CRUSHER (3, Samantha Ottley), 2000m std: “Providing he steps cleanly he’ll be a strong each-way chance.” WYNDHAM HRC, Friday, January 20 Race 5: AYMAR (11, Craig Ferguson), mob. 1609m: “Gets a strong field and a bad draw but is good enough to be a threat.”
NELSON HRC, Sunday, January 15
NELSON HRC, Sunday, January 15 Race 4: SPOOKY (1, Wayne Higgs), mob. 2400m: “He got a bit keen in the open on Friday and was all done in the run home. Looking for improvement.”
Glenferrie Classic to wait for another grass cup
GLENFERRIE CLASSIC TO TARGET WAIKOUAITI CUP Cromwell Cup winner Glenferrie Classic is to be freshened for another grass track country cup target, the $14,000 Waikouaiti Cup (2600m) at Courage Under Fire Raceway on Sunday, February 12. “She will wait for the Waikouaiti Cup as its hard to place a now four-win mare,” said Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones. The Mornington Tavern-sponsored cup at Waikouaiti is suitable, as like at Cromwell, is over 2600m from a stand start. Despite scrambling away at the start, Glenferrie Classic soon hit her straps with driver Sam Ottley finding a perfect one-out and one-back trail …
OAMARU HRC-NELSON HRC, January 11-13
OAMARU HRC, Wednesday, January 11 Race 6: KOWHAI MONARCH (11, Samantha Ottley), UR 1, 30m, 2600m std: “Fresh-up with no trials and the field has got stronger with Williamsons’ runners in there. He will improve with run.” Race 7: AYMAR (8, Samantha Ottley), mob. 2000m: “Has draw wide enough to be a pain but is racing good.” Race 10: BEST DEFENCE (4, Samantha Ottley), mob. 2600m: “Looking for luck.” NELSON HRC, Friday, January 13 Race 4: SPOOKY (1), mob. 2400m: “Has arrived from Auckland to Nelson so I haven’t seen the horse. Wayne (Higgs) has just bought him but an …
Arannalea much too good fresh
ARANNALEA CLEARS OUT AT TIMARU Timaru co-owned squaregaiter Arannalea made a stunning return to racing in the hands of trainer Mark Jones at the Phar Lap Raceway on Friday, January 6, 2016. The former promising 2YO trot filly made a mess of her maiden rivals in the Equine Veterinary Services Trot. First-up for 11 months and without the benefit of a lead-up trial, she put in one nervous step at the start but soon had the front for Mark. She was revelling in her work for much of the stand start 2600m trot. Arannalea spreadeagled the field early in the …
TIMARU-WYNDHAM HRC, January 6-7
TIMARU HRC, Friday, January 6 Race 4: ARANNALEA (1, Mark), 2600m std: “Fresh-up with no trials but happy with her work and an each-way chance.” Race 6: AYMAR (6, Mark), mob. 2000m: “Drawn to lead and an each-way chance.” Race 9: BETTOR UNDER FIRE (12, Mark), mob. 2000m: “Had to do a bit much first-up and drawn bad again but a good chance with the right luck.” WYNDHAM HRC (grass) @ Cromwell, Saturday, January 7 Race 7: SENORITA MARAGITA (7, Samantha Ottley), mob. 1800m: “Disappointed last start so improvement needed.” Race 8: ICE CRUSHER (14, Samantha Ottley), mob. 1800m: …