ICE CRUSHER HOLDS IN ADDINGTON TRIAL
Overport trainer Mark Jones qualified the two-year-old Christian Cullen gelding Ice Crusher, five seconds under the required standard, at Addington on Monday, February 2.
Ice Crusher led from the outset in the mobile 2000m qualifier, and although he had the Jimmy Curtin-trained Mach Three gelding Hickstead for company over the last 200m, kept up a useful run to hold by a neck in 2:31.1 for the mobile 2000m.
Ice Crusher does enough to hold Hickstead over 2000m in 2:31.1 at the Addington trials on February 2, 2015.
A brother to last Sunday’s smart Wyndham winner Shak’n Cullen, Ice Crusher rated 2:01.5 for the trip, quickening over his last 800m in 58.1s and final 400m in 29s.
Ice Crusher had finished close seconds to the Purdon/Rasmussen-trained Mastercraftsman, and the Cran Dalgety-trained Linton Shard, in his two Rangiora workouts in late last month.
He is bred to be above average with his brother Shak’n Cullen (1:58.9) now the winner of four from 34 for $33,424 in stakes.
Their dam Helena Kilena (Soky’s Atom-Hilarious Helen) won five races for $36,024 in stakes and retired with a fastest 1:57 winning mile rate over 1950m at Addington.
Helena Kilena is a sister to Fearless Freda (p2, 1:59), the 1998 $106,700 PGG Yearling Sales 2YO Filly Pace winner when trained by Cran Dalgety, and a half-sister to Franco Himself (1:55.4, US, 3 NZ wins, 18 USA wins) and Awesome Andy (p3, 1:58.6, a four time winner in both NZ and Australia.
Another sister in Hilarious Heather (three wins) has left the useful Cran Dalgety-trained winners Holy Hero (1:56.5, five NZ & 3 Aust. wins) and Collecting (p3, 1:58.6), the winner of four including a NZ 3YO fillies stand start record of 2:46.3.
Helena Kilena has also let Lindennys Laddie (by Bettor’s Delight), renamed in Australia as Dashing Stride (p2, 1:59.6), the winner of five, and the qualified Tina Kilena (by Real Desire), who was retired after one unplaced start.
The latter’s first foal, a Changeover colt, named Times A Changing, is being offered by Lindenny Lodge for sale on the second day of the NZ Premier Yearling Sale in Christchurch on February 18.
Helena Kilena’s grand-dam Golden Guest won nine and ran third against the boys behind the Alister Kerslake-trained stablemate Bachelor Star in the 1971 New Zealand Derby at Addington (another filly Van Glory ran second and Roydon Roux was fourth).
Golden Guest was a Garrison Hanover sister to a top Jack Smolenski-trained 1970s pacer in Speedy Guest (19 wins including a Great Northern Derby and a NZ Messenger.
True Guest (Light Brigade-Loyal Guest), the dam of Speedy Guest and Golden Guest, was a half-sister to Adio star, the 1978 NZ Broodmare Of the Year, who left three NZ Derby winners, the above-mentioned Bachelor Star (1971), Main Adios (1975) and Game Adios (1979).
True Guest also became the dam of former top filly/mare Hilarious Guest, who added to the family’s New Zealand Derby-winning history in 1982 in the hands of Mark’s father Peter Jones, for trainer Maurice Vermeulen, holding Peter’s father Derek with Portfolio, Mel’s Boy and Enterprise.
Hilarious Guest, who died in 2008 after leaving 14 foals, won 21 races & $283,230, also beating the boys in a NZ Sapling Stakes at two when driven by Peter Jones, and in the NZ Messenger 4YO Championship when reined by Peter Wolfenden.
Goodness Gracious Me warms up for an Ashburton mile on Saturday by winning the C1 and faster heat at the Addington trials for her trainer.
She also finished second in two Auckland Cups, behind Roydon Glen in 1985, and Armalight in 1983.
Meanwhile, the Mark Jones stable also qualified Richard Le Fort (3c Jereme’s Jet-Belle’s Girl) and Power Bolt (3c Changeover-Hot Blooded Woman when third and fourth respectively in their mobile 2000m heat on Monday.
Richard Le Fort ran 2:32.4 behind Mickey Jay and Volatile Lavra, while Power Bolt, fourth, ran 2:33.8.
Four-win mare but C1-assessed Goodness Gracious Me, runnerup in three of her last four south appearances, warmed up for Ashburton on Saturday with a front-running win in the c1 and faster mobile heat at Monday’s trials.
The Christian Cullen mare held Roo Star by 1 1/4 lengths in the run home in 2:26.9 (1950m), a mile rate of 2:01.2, quickening over her last 800m in 57.2s and final 400m in 28.1s.
She contests the C1-2 Studholme ‘Premier Yearlings’ Mares Mobile Pace over 1609m at Ashburton this Saturday.
By Jeff Scott