CRAIG FERGUSON & FAIR DINKUM BROMAC DELIVER AT TIMARU
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones was pleased to credit part-time winter stable employee Craig Ferguson with a win behind Fair Dinkum Bromac in the junior drivers race at Timaru on Sunday, October 5.
“It was good for Craig to win on one of mine as he’s been a great help over the years,” Mark said.
Fair Dinkum Bromac,scored his ninth career win on Sunday, but moves to a C2 assessment for his future racing.
Craig Ferguson gained the Fair Dinkum Bromac drive as Kimberly Butt was competing in Australia in an invited drivers series last week, and he had to put in the hard yards up and down State Highway 1 to notch his third win for the weekend.
Craig, who teamed up with Invercargill trainer Wayne Adams last term, reined Shillelagh to win for Michael House in the junior race at Addington on Friday night.
He returned to Invercargill for another win with Robyn’s Bad Boy on Saturday, before heading north to Timaru on Sunday morning.
This was Craig’s sixth win of the new season, placing him third on this season’s junior table behind Brad Williamson (eight) and Kimberly Butt (seven). He finished with 36 junior driving wins last term, and 24 two seasons ago.
Second-last on settling with Fair Dinkum Bromac, Craig found good cover four deep on the markers in the blustery conditions, then switched him one off in midfield beginning the last 800m.
Switched wide, Fair Dinkum Bromac and Craig completed a busy weekend with purpose, unwinding strongly to beat New York Town and Tubbys Sister in a 2:02.3 rate, the leaders last 800m in 59.3s and final 400m in 28.3s.
Fair Dinkum Bromac had also snared an invited junior drivers penalty-free win as part of a NZ Junior Drivers Heat race in the hands of Tony Cameron at Addington on July 16.
The drop-back concession in the handicapping system has also been a benefit to Fair Dinkum Bromac, who has been up and down the C1-4 grades for the last four years.
The hardy Falcon Seelster gelding has to be one of the best placed C2 pacers in New Zealand.
The 9YO veteran of 134 race starts racked up his ninth career win on Sunday, taking his career earnings to $73,799.
He had dropped back to a C1 rating after an unplaced run at Addington on Friday, but goes back to C2 for taking out the C1-3 pace as you can only get one penalty-free drivers race win.
Fair Dinkum Bromac will continue to rack up the Addington starts this month as he chases down a Met Multiplier bonus for 15 starts in a 12-month rolling period, including a win.
“He still needs a few starts to get the bonus,” Mark said.
Mark, meanwhile, was happy with top trotter Master Lavros in last Friday’s Addington resumption.
Master Lavros stepped smartly off the 30m line to lead after the opening 300m and Mark drove him positively, only to be outgunned in the run home by fellow top squaregaiter Stent.
The winner, who was also resuming off the 30m-line, won going away in a slick 3:18.6 for the 2600m (stand), the leaders last 800m in 56.6s and final 400m in 27.6s.
“Master Lavros had every chance but the other one was too good,” Mark said.
By Jeff Scott