EX STABLEMATES
WIN OVERSEAS
Telemecanique and Atom Of Courage, formerly stablemates at the Burnham stables of trainer Mark Jones, have gained their first wins respectively overseas.
Former smart racemare Telemecanique bounced back from being sick a month ago to win a $US19,000 mares race at Harrahs Chester in 1:53.2 for the mile.
Telemecanique, former speedy NZ mare, who has opened her winning account in North America.
The Falcon Seelster mare settled fourth and finished best to win by 3/4 of a length.
Another former Canterbury mare in Joyfuljoy finished fourth.
“She dropped back in grade for that one, but she’s going to be racing for $US39,000 just about every week shortly,” Mark said.
This Saturday (NZ time) she gets her chance to step up in a $US23,500 mares race at the Meadowlands.
Telemecanique, still co-owned in America by Kiwi owner Dave Neal, left NZ the winner of $102,839 from 11 wins in 30 starts.
Meanwhile, Atom Of Courage is racing in a $A40,000 Inter City Series Final at Maitland in New South Wales on Saturday January 8 after winning his heat of the series at Newcastle on New Year’s Eve.
The Courage Under Fire gelding was successful first-up in the C2-C4 $A5500 heat after joining the Peter Russo stable.
After getting a good run with cover handy on the outer, Atom Of Courage finished best to score by 4.2 metres in a smart 1:59.9 mile rate for the 2550m, the leaders running their last 800m in 58.2s and final 400m in 28.6s.
Other ex-Kiwis in the Newcastle heat were Dynamic Storm, who ran 3rd, Shoot No Blanks (5th), and Redhead Ted (7th).