JEWELS CONTENDERS STEP OUT AT ASHBURTON WORKOUTS
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones was happy enough with his Jewels contenders at the Ashburton workouts on Saturday, May 23, but knows they will require the right luck to be dividend-bearing next Saturday.
Arannalea was good in her 2YO heat, leaving the gate at speed for Mark, before trailing Missandei (Mark Purdon) from the 1000m, and running a solid length and a half second in a 2:01.3 mile.
Arannalea is solid with an inside run but front-running Missandei is going too well for Mark Purdon in the 2YO trot workout at Ashburton. Gershwin (wide) runs third, ahead of Aldebaran Ay M.
The leaders ran their last 800m in 59.3s and sprinted up their final 400m in 27.6s.
“The track was perfect. Its a shame the Jewels weren’t being run today because they would be running some time the way the track is,” Mark said.
Eyre I Come, coming to the end of a busy season, galloped early in the open mobile trot for driver Blair Orange but recovered well to close the gap to just over two lengths from winner Petite One in 1:59.2.
“He’ll go out after next Saturday and get ready to win the same race he won on Cup day last year,” he said.
Rocker Band and Ricky May in action, trailing up in their heat at the Ashburton workouts on Saturday.
Rocker Band, freshened after being off her game in the Southland Oaks Final on April 12, trailed northerner Ideal Success in the fastest heat of the day, and wasn’t pressured by driver Ricky May, finishing 3.5 lengths fourth.
Ideal Success kept going to hold Kept Under Wraps and Willow in 1:54.9, the last 800m in 55.7s and final 400m in 25.8s.
“Rocker Band is still not right,” Mark said.
Maiden trotter Landora’s Girl, who led early, trailed and broke on the line for Mark when holding down second to Joseph H in the C0 and faster trot, will probably be one of five or six from the team being sent north to race over the winter.
Joseph H, the only winner in the heat, started off a 10m handicap for trainer Terry McMillan and held in 3:12.3 for the 2400m, the last 800m in 59s.
Meanwhile, Mark also drove Salty Robyn for Newcastle trainer Shane Tritton in the 2YO pace, finishing a close second behind Dream About Me, in 1:57.3, the leaders sharpening up over their last 800m in 55.7s and final 400m in 25.6s.
Salty Robyn, after leading up in Shane Tritton’s pink colours, is joined by Dream About Me (wide), with Arden’s Choice third, in the 2YO workout.
Salty Robyn set the pace but Dream About Me, which settled third in the three-horse workout, unwound strongly to shadow the New South Wales visitor on the line, winning by half a head.
Dream About Me, the 2YO half-sister to Christen Me (1:49.1) and Hands Christian (1:52.5), will try and stretch her unbeaten sequence to five in the Jewels 2YO Diamond next Saturday for the Allstars Stables of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen.
Have Faith In Me, the top-ranked 3YO pacer for the Allstars barn, was also very good, sprinting through the middle to hold stablemates, Follow The Stars, Hug The Wind and early leader Isaiah in the their mile heat in 1:57.8, the last 400m in 26s.