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FAMILY CREDITS CONTINUE FOR YEARLING BUY

Bettor’s Fire, the uncle of this year’s $100,000 yearling filly Overport Lodge buy La Rosa, has surpassed the equivalent of $NZ1 million in earning.

Formerly a winner of 11 of 30 NZ starts for $79,192, for Mark Joneses former boss, Cran Dalgety, Bettor’s Fire went on to be a big winner of over $A815,000 in Perth under the direction of Kyle Harper.

Exported to North America last year, the evergreen Bettor’s Delight-Sparks A Flyin gelding won four on end.

Now 11, he’s lowered his lifetime best to 1:50.1 (fifth) on a five-furlong (1000m) track and won $US144,470 from eight wins (including a $44,000 open pace at Yonkers) and five placing in 23 starts.

Bettor’s Fire latest win was at Plainridge Park, Maine, on Monday (NZ time), winning by 2 and 1/4 lengths in 1:51.4.

He’s now raced 129 times for 52 wins in three countries for the equivalent of of $NZ1,038,537.

Mark Jones, himself, had a catch-drive behind Bettor’s Fire at Methven back in 2011.

He teamed up with Bettor’s Fire at his fourth career start, finishing second to Falcon Crown in 1-win pace.

Mark had a rewarding association with the dam of Bettor’s Fire in Sparks A Flyin, who he reined for owners Jim and Susan Wakefield, and trainer Cran Dalgety, to win the 2001 Australasian Breeders Crown 3YO Fillies Final at Moonee Valley, Melbourne.

The former world driving champ also reined her to win the New South Wales Oaks and Nevele R Fillies Final in a stellar season.

Sparks A Flyin (1:52, 21 win & $627,218), who died in 2015, stamped class on her foals, with her first six to race, all quality winners.

Besides Bettor’s Fire, she’s left 1:49.5 Menangle winner (My) Alpha Rock (17 wins & $A240,614), Diomedes (1:57.5, 12 wins & $87,994), Empyrean (1:56.2, 10 wins & $121,302), Safedra (1:56.3, 10 wins & $135,577) and former Victoria Derby Heat winner, Art Union (1:55.6, 17 wins & $210,120).

La Rosa, purchased at the NZ Bloodstock’s National Standardbred Yearling Sale at Karaka in February, is a grand-daughter of Sparks A Flyin and will race in the ownership of Sir Loins Limited, 3 Peg Investments Pty Ltd, Starmark Limited, Aaron Goadsby and WDC (Mark Jones company).

She’s the third foal from Safedra, the Mach Three daughter of Sparks A Flyin, who won the Group Two 2013 Southland Oaks and also chased home champion filly Adore Me in the 2013 New Zealand Oaks at Addington during her race career for Cran Dalgety.

La Rosa, by the same sire as Bettor’s Fire in champion stallion Bettor’s Delight, is a sister to Group One-placed 3YO filly Buzinga (p3, 1:56.8, four wins), and last season’s two-year-old Young Guns Heat place-getter Dr Susan (1:57.2), who placed in four of six starts last term.

Dr Susan resumed with a win at the Rangiora workouts on Wednesday for this season’s new Cran Dalgety-Nathan Purdon stable.

LIBERTY ROSE WINS NEAR STATUE OF LIBERTY

Former Overport Lodge filly/mare, Liberty Rose (5m Mach Thre-Lyse Doucet, by Holmes Hanover-Patsy McCreedy) continues to advance internationally.

A runner-up on debut to Miss Ethel Sunshine in a 2Y0 Sires Stakes Fillies Heat at Addington in February 2027, she was sold after winning her maiden at Roxburgh in January, 2018, for the Mark Jones stable.

She quickly found form in West Australia, winning five of her first eight Perth starts.

She added another WA win before being American bound with around $90,000 in the bank and a 1:55.6 winning 3YO mark over 2130m at Gloucester Park.

Liberty Rose scored her biggest win to date, in a $US30,000 fillies and mares pace at Yonkers, New York, not far from the famed USA Statue Of Liberty monument, for the Doug Dilloian jun. stable in 1:54.1 on the half-mile track.

A former Tony Herlihy-trained filly Gold Orchid (1:50.2, fifths mile track), was swamped in the run home, finishing third for the Mark Harder stable.

The win furthers a useful record for her dam Lyse Doucet (unplaced in both starts), now the dam last March of Somebeachsomewhere qualifier for the Mark Jones stable in March in Foulwind (2:00.7).

Other winners from Lyse Doucet are Ellis Rose (1:53.9, 10 wins & $91,021), Sniggihdis (1:55.9, 10 wins & $45,141), Malone (1:56.3, two wins), and hardy NZ winner Booster (1:58, seven wins).

Grand-dam Patsy McCreedy (Bo Scots Blue Chip-Patsy Marie), won three, and left five individual winners, including smart types, Brooksdale Pal (1:56.2, five wins), Padraig (1:55.2, US, five NZ wins, 14 USA wins) and White Star Rocky (two NZ wins, 11 Aust. wins & $79,729).

The family has also kicked on through the unraced broodmare Mary Niven (Courage Under Fire sister to Ellis Rose and Malone), with Mary Niven leaving three-race winners from her first two to race, Rocknroll Nevin and Queenofdance (2:00.5, mile rate, 2400m), the latter a useful improver this term under the Overport Lodge guidance.

Raced by the Patsy Marie Syndicate, Queenofdance is a fourth-line descendant from family’s matriarch mare, Patsy Marie, a smart filly in her day.

She won the 1980 Methven Two-Year-Old Stakes at her second start, beating smart boys of the era in Bionic Adios and Fouroux.

Patsy Marie also won the Roydon Lodge Fillies Stakes at two at Timaru, beating No Excuse Royal Stroll and Times Up.

At three, she ran second to Take Care in the Fillies Triple Crown Classic at Addington.

The daughter of Schell Hanover also won at Greymouth at four, for three wins in 32 starts.

Her best winning foal was Priceless Franco (2:00.1), who won 12 of 48 starts in Australia for $52,330, but died after leaving just two non–winning Australian foals.

Based on her formline Plutonium Lady should never have been paying $1.35 to win her maiden at Winton.

But Mark Jones knew better than anyone those odds were probably a fair reflection of her chances, a 27.8 final 400m with the hood still on and driver Blair Orange unmoved quite solid proof.

“She has always impressed me. A filly that I liked a lot from the start,” said Mark.

“I think the way she won shows what she can do. We’re hoping this will lead to her being up to the better fillies later in the season and the Oaks and races like that are within her range.

“For now she will have a wee break and back for the Ladyship final in Southland.”

Mark’s knowledge of the family was far from a first-hand look – he’d also trained half-sister (Wahs) Fire Bug for owner-breeder Robert Famularo and knew her capabilities.

“Robert didn’t get Fire Bug through the sales for some reason and he sent her to me to get going with a view to selling. She won first up (also at Winton, running a 1:55.3 mile) and she was sold soon after to Australia.”

Fire Bug was bought by Sydney owner Scott McDonald who has raced a number with good success, included among those Hail Christian and the promising Tom Martin out of the Paul Court stable.

The Mach Three filly would go on to win a further four races for McDonald and trainer Peter Hanson before a recent spell, rating 1:52.2 for the mile to win among three other Menangle victories. She also placed third in the G3 South East Oaks at Albion Park behind Princess Tiffany.

Sorting out the sales catalogue was Mark’s job for owners Grant Hatton, Michael Jones, and Jim Haines and he was taken by Plutonium Lady given the family had rarely been to Bettor’s Delight, but with success before.

“The family had really only been to Bettor’s twice and left Malak Uswaad and Chicago Bull – that was a good reason to be keen.

“We’ve had a good run with the same ownership – Grant, Michael and Jim have bought Squire (on-sold to Australia, 13 wins), Plutonium Lady, Finnigan (2yo winner in Australia), and the latest an Art Major colt out of Zenable.

“And we bought the Bettor’s Delight filly out of Safedra ($100,000) at the sales this year,” said Mark.

“They usually buy a colt in Australia every year (including Squire and Finnegan).”

Plutonium Lady’s dam Timeless Perfection (Christian Cullen) was a rocket herself, winning her first three race day starts for trainer Brendon Hill and Famularo, five of her first six starts, and six of 11 before heading to Australia for an interrupted campaign of just two starts in November-December 2011.

“Robert is always going to get good results as he breeds from the good mares he has, and they are good mares,” said Mark.

“Stonewall Stud bought the Somebeachsomewhere filly this year,” he added.

Auckland’s December carnival is off the radar for Plutonium Lady but Mark will have her ready for the classics later in the season, a time of the year he expects the big filly to show her very-best.

“Races will be scattered for her – not over-raced at all.”

Big winner for Jones stable joins Kylie Rasmussen

Last-start winner The Bus has enjoyed a week off at a spelling farm and has now joined the stable of Kylie Rasmussen in Brisbane to continue his campaign.

The brother to Saveapatrol bowed out a winner for the Mark Jones-Aaron Goadsby stable at Albion Park on August 24, rating 1:53.7 for the 1660m.

And he headed to Kylie Rasmussen on Monday, with some goals in mind if he fronts up to the big players.

“It was a good time to send him to Kylie – I think she’s quite excited to get a horse like him,” said Mark.

“Hopefully he can match up with the free-for-allers in Brisbane and if he happens to be going well then Kylie may set him for a good race somewhere else.”

Owner Grant Hatton left the Art Major entire in Rasmussen’s care after the August carnival at Albion Park, though another in Hatton’s team Barrett has returned home to New South Wales for a well-deserved break after winning at Albion Park last month.

He was left in the death-seat the entire trip but classy entire The Bus proved too strong for them again at Albion Park on Saturday night (August 25).

He rated a slick 1:53.7 for the 1660m, wide to parked on a quick 27.6 opening stanza, then home in 56.8 to post win 15 from start 52 for owner Grant Hatton and the Trans Tasman training partnership of Mark Jones and Aaron Goadsby.

The Art Major brother to former star pacer Saveapatrol has won eight races in Australia this season and $57,35 in stakes taking a 1:51.0 winning mile time at Menangle.

Barrett finished sixth in the opening event for the stable, a torrid 26.5 first quarter perhaps edging him later in the race, as well as it being his fifth start for the month at Albion Park, while Rock N Joy finished third later in the programme in a more sedate 1:57.4 rate over the 1660m.