EYRE I COME ENDS RUN OF PLACINGS WITH AUCKLAND WIN
Eyre I Come ended a frustrating run of minor placings with a premier $20,000 victory in the Crombie Lockwood Mobile Trot at Auckland on New Year’s Eve, 2015.
The 5YO Majestic Son gelding had looked certain to progress to open class after his previous win at Addington on New Zealand Cup day, 2014, also in a $20,000 trot when he defeated Queen Kenny and Clover Mac.
However, the half-brother to Springbank Eden and grandson of former stand-out trot mare Landora’s Pride (34 wins) lost that winning feeling for much of 2015, even though his form wasn’t that bad.
Eyre I Come, made a timely return to winning form at Alexandra Park on New Year’s Eve.
“He was in the right race and good for the owners to get another premier win,” Mark said.
“He will come home now and just carry on racing,” he said.
Hopefully Thursday’s win is the catalyst to ignite Eyre I Come’s career going into 2016.
The New Year’s Eve win brought up his third win from just his 24th starts for owners Meg and Merv Butterworth, and Grant Hatton.
Driver Blair Orange took luck out of play with Eyre I Come in his latest win, taking over from Matatoki a lap from home.
Blair had the third favourite trotting boldly throughout the final lap and held by 1 1/4 lengths from strong finisher Il Pirata and fellow Cantab Everybody Knows in 2:45.7 (mobile 2200m).
The winner quickened over his last 800m in 58.9s and his final 400m in 28.9s.
The victory was also good timing for his yearling half-sister named Secretary Of State (by The Pres) who is being offered at the NZ Premier Yearling Sale in February.
The family continues to throw up winners and topliners.
Grand-dam Landora’s Pride, the 1987 Rowe and 1988 Dominion Handicap-winning mare, is also the grand-dam of other stand-outs in Sundon’s Gift (T, 1:54.3, 41 wins including a Rowe Cup) and Let Me Thru (2:00 mile rate 2240m, 19 wins and the runnerup to I Can Doosit in an Auckland Inter Dominion Trot Final).
Eyre I Come’s victory brought up the 21st win of the season for trainer Mark Jones, who heads south this weekend for the annual Central Otago New Year circuit.
Mark’s Overport Lodge stable moved to outright fourth on the national trainers premiership.
Meanwhile, stablemate Real Torque ran on late along the markers for fifth to Democrat Party in the $20,000 Cullen Breeding Fillies & Mares Mobile Pace.
Northern Velocity, the third Mark Jones-trained starter on Auckland Cup night, struggled like most of the field in the wake of NZ record-setting Golden Goddess in the $138,000 Alabar Sires Stakes 3YO Fillies Championship.
After being caught wide early, she improved parked briefly after the opening 700m, then was shuffled four back ass Golden Goddess moved up parked beginning the final lap.
Northern Velocity tired to run ninth as Golden Goddess held fellow Allstars filly Piccadilly Princess (one-one over the final lap) by half a length in a brilliant 2:36.9 (1:54.7 mile rate) for the mobile 2200m.
By Jeff Scott