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HRNZ MEDIA BITES, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

Late bloomer dominant in Hunter Cup: Interesting to see that last week’s Hunter Cup winner Mah Sish did not start racing until he was a four-year-old. In that time he was developed by Dean Taylor, enjoyed good early success before being sold to his current owners for a big-ticket price. In his Australian campaign alone this season Mah Sish has banked an approximate NZ$525k.

(Mister) Zion story of the week: Kiwi export (Mister) Zion truly won the hearts of many race fans last week when he beat Dr Hook in the Australasian Trotting Championship at Melton. He joined a prestigious group of one (that we know of) that has won at Group One level as a pacer and a trotter. The only other time this has happened has been Wrackler. He won the NZ Cup in 1930 before changing gaits and winning the Dominion Handicap in 1932. Of course the big Red River Hanover horse won the SA Cup in 2010 over Smoken Up, capping a meteoric rise through the ranks. Then things turned for him a bit but reincarnated as a trotter he’s been a sensation. Remembering too; a bizarre quirk of the Australian rules that means if you change gaits you can’t go back to scratch to start again, as you can in New Zealand. So Mister Zion has done it from the top level all the way – a truly tremendous show of guts and courage. It’s been seven wins from 20 starts as a trotter and now he’s odds on to be in the Australian team to compete in the Glenferrie Farm Challenge in Sydney.  

Kiwi team named for Glenferrie Farm Challenge: The five New Zealand trotters to run against the best five Australia has to offer in the Glenferrie Farm Challenge Trot on Sunday March 3 have been found. The New Zealand selection panel has chosen I Can Doosit, Stig, Dr Hook, Escapee and The Fiery Ginga as its Dream Team, with Sovereignty being the reserve.

The A$200,000 Glenferrie Farm Challenge will be staged at Menangle and will add further glitz to one of the all-time great days of harness racing Australia. Already locked into the programme are an Inter Dominion Final, Chariots of Fire, NSW Derby, NSW Oaks, Ladyship Stakes and Bohemia Crystal FFA. New Zealand can expect to have strong representation in most races on the exceptional race card.

Christen Me right on path for Chariots Of Fire: With his sterling second to Terror To Love, Christen Me must have surely inched closer to a run in the A$200,000 Chariots Of Fire on Sunday March 3. To push the best pacer in New Zealand, right now, to half-a-length and run a slashing sub 26-second 400m alongside the champ suggests when dropping back to his age in Australia he’d be as competitive as any around. Smolda though in his win at Melton on Saturday night sounded a warning. How about racing three-wide without cover for the majority of the 1720m mobile journey and recording a winning mile rate of 1.52.6?

Mile day at Ashburton Saturday including several features: The racing will be action-packed and of a high standard at Ashburton this Saturday. The time honoured Sapling Stakes and Hambletonian Classic for the 3YO Trotters will be the highlights but a good day for the harness sport is in the offing. The club has attracted a nice FFA field, he biggest since the races inception a few years ago. The final of the Christian Cullen Mares Speed Series has assembled a very even yet strong field. Mark Purdon is back in the country to partner some exciting horses including the unbeaten Adore Me and there will be much intrigue surrounding the running of the Sapling Stakes with so many unknowns. Provided the weather is fine there is the live prospect of some NZ Records, especially with 3YO Trotters, given Royal Aspirations is in the race. His 2YO record set at the Jewels is quicker than the current 3YO marks.

Who’s headlining for NZ in the USA: The attached spreadsheet with this email shows the nine fastest NZ-bred horses in the USA last year. It’s an interesting list and the full list of NZ winners in the USA will be published on hrnz.co.nz in due course. The nine Kiwi-breds that ran 1.50 or better last year in the USA were: Foreclosure, Mainland Key, Bondy, Royal Cee Cee, Second Wind, Mr Hasani, Georgetown and Malak Uswaad.

NZ Australasian Young Drivers reps confirmed: The three New Zealand reps in the upcoming Australasian Young Drivers Championship will be Zac Butcher (NZ), Josh Dickie (NI), Matthew Williamson (SI). Last week Josh Dickie made a last-ditch dash to Forbury Park to secure his place. He needed to run one or two in the last qualifying race of the season and he delivered on the Dunn trained Better Than Money. Dickie also sneered a close-up second on outsider Rescarn in one of his other pick-up drives.

The Australasian Young Drivers Champs runs across Inter Dominion week in and around Sydney – starting on Feb 25 and concluding on Super Sunday at Menangle on March 3. Josh Dickie won the champs in 2011, when they were last held in New Zealand.

Milestone Watch: Ken Barron is now on 992 career driving wins.

Courtesy of Andrew Morris, Marketing & Communications Offcer, HRNZ

THE LUTTS HAS WEEK OFF AFTER TAKING MET MULTIPLIER

Busy pacer The Lutts scored a well-earned week off after being the big winner, despite finishing last, in the opener on premier night at Addington, February 1.

Burnham trainer Mark Jones says The Lutts has earned a bit of “R & R” after clocking up his 15th Addington start since September (the magical number to claim the bonus) and his 20th start for the season.

“It was good to support the Metropolitan Club after they put the money up for the bonuses.”

“He couldn’t go with them on Friday but we won more than the winning stake,”

“He’s won $6321 for the season, plus the $7500 bonus, so he’s done aright.”

The Lutts, bred and raced by the Bowden family, joined Far Too Rusty, becoming the second winner of the Met’s multiplier bonus, for starting 15 times at Addington meetings during a 12 month period.

The 4YO Western Terror gelding, who dropped away to finish last of the six in Friday’s Angus Meats Mobile as Monifeith ran his two win rivals raggged, pacing a slick 3:11.3 (1:58.3 mile rate, mobile 2600m), will probably focus on amateur and claiming races when he returns.

“If he’s not sold, we’ll probably look at those sort of races with him. He ran second in an amateur race at the previous Addington meeting and those races suit,” Mark said.

BADJELLYS COURAGE WINS IN NSW

The Mark Jones-trained Badjellys Courage made a winnning return to racing at Young, New South Wales, earlier on Friday afternoon.

The 3YO Courage Under Fire gelding, spelled after last racing in October, was caught wide but delivered as a $1.70 win favourite over 2100m in the hands of Ashlee Siejka.

He rated 2:02.8 for journey, the leaders battling a shade over their last 400m in 32s, but Badjellys Courage was able to wear the leaders down, scoring by 2.1 metres.

HRNZ MEDIA BITES, JANUARY 23, 2012

Kiwi onslaught about to get real in Oz:  Some big names are already in Australia to compete for their riches but in the last week or so they’ve been joined by reinforcements. The first focus for ‘team kiwi’ is the Ballarat Cup and Victorian Derby heats this week. We have five horses battling to gain starts in the $200,000 Derby on 2 Feb at Melton. They are Ohoka Punter, Arden Rooney, Bit Of A Legend, Cyamach and Three Pints. The Victoria Derby heats will be run at 10.30, 11.02 and 11.30pm on Saturday night from Melton. Kiwi interest starts in heat two with Two Pints but peaks in the third heat, which includes Cyamach (3), Bit Of A Legend (4), Arden Rooney (5) and Ohoka Punter (7). Smolda also makes an appearance on the undercard 10.00pm our time.

The Ballarat Cup on Friday night worth $150k has attracted a hot field. Sushi Sushi looks the horse to beat from one though. Kiwi interest will surround Mah Sish and Auckland Reactor. There are some other Kiwi horse dotted around Aussie cards in the weekend too. Highview Tommy & Four Starzzz Flash go around in the Pure Steel two races before the Ballarat Cup. The Tim Butt-trained Askmenow runs in the race after the Ballarat Cup. While Dr Hook and Vulcan will run in the second of two heats in the Austalasian Trotting Championship

West Australia Cup surprise:  (Im)Themightyquinn had his colours lowered in the WA Cup last Friday night. For the second week in a row we saw a titanic battle in a state’s feature and it was dasher VC, the omnipresent Dasher VC that did the damage on the unbackable favourite. Dasher VC led throughout around the tight Perth circuit and with Quinny forced to make his move midrace to sit parked he couldn’t reel in the leader.

The week prior we should have been given some coverage to. The battle between Smoken Up and Caribbean Blaster in the South Australia Cup. It was Bonecrusher/Waverley Star-esque but this time the horse on the inside won. If you haven’t seen it I implore you to have a look at the following link. Great race! Great call and it captures the essence of what makes our sport enjoyable. http://media.harness.org.au/sa/GDM12011301.wmv

What’s hot this week?: Invercargill Cup – (Saturday afternoon (4.15pm) stars Franco Ledger, Ohoka Texas, Flyover, Artiface, Bettor’s Fire) – Ballarat Cup (Friday night 10.54pm, stars Sushi Sushi, Melpark Major, Mah Sish, Auckland Reactor, Smoken Up) – Victorian Derby Heats (Saturday night see above)

Pure Power runs hot at Menangle:  Just as long-time mentor Dave McGowan predicted Menangle appears to be Pure Power’s happy place. After a seventh first-up the hulking son of Grinfromeartoear turned in a classy display to sit parked for half a mile and prove too strong in 1.53.2 for what seemed a nice field. Another former Kiwi Stormy Sirocco chased hard in second. Trained by expat Nicole Molander and driven by Blake Fitzpatrick Pure Power impressed and he looks destined to compete in some big races in the coming months.

Betty back to basics:  The great story that is Bettor Cover Lover keeps on giving. Of course last week we saw another Group win for the mare whose life hung in the balance after an accident two years ago on an livestock crate in Melbourne. The win last week was Betty’s seventh Group race win but her first at Group 2 level. In a little over a week she’ll be back at Addington striving to go one better than her second to Carabella last year in the NZ Breeders Stakes (G1). Two dark horses for the race have come to light in recent days. Firstly, Talaspring caught the eye getting home well late in the piece. She always ran well at Addington when trained by the late Doug Mangos (Brent’s father) near the start of her career. The second was Flyover. She never her side down and was forced to race parked again. She lines up at Ascot Park in Cup on Saturday with Ricky May in the sulky. She must rate a live chance to gain a much deserves win. Franco ledger must give her a 30m head start.

After discussing the Wanaka Challenge we then on to the horses. In Melbourne right now are Bit Of A legend, Four Starzzz Flash and Dexter Dunn. Cran will join them on Thursday. Bit Of A Legend is reportedly sharp and ready for his Vic Derby heat this Saturday, while Four Starzzz Flash continues to please the team and looks poised to line up in the Pure Steel. The stand start race a good lead-in to the Hunter Cup the following week. “The Ballarat Cup was a tempting carrot but the Pure Steel works best from a Hunter Cup perspective”, Dalgety reported. One of the other stable stars continues his build up for a Chariots Of Fire bid and while Christen Me can’t be granted an invite, under the rules set in place by the NSWHRC, he looks certain to earn a ‘Wild Card’ spot in the Chariots Of Fire on March 3 if he makes it to Sydney in one piece and runs up to expectation in the one or both of the lead-up events.

Smiling Star succumbed to virus in classic:  Smiling Star failed badly in the Pelorus Classic two weeks ago but subsequent vet tests revealed the promising horse had a virus. Another notable horse with vet notes to cover was Tatijana Bromac – a late scratching from Addington last week. She was found to be lame in the near fore in the morning of last Friday’s race.

Far Too Rusty up for big payday tomorrow night:  The winner at Addington Raceway tomorrow night will be the connections of Far Too Rusty, regardless of the result. She is just one start away from cashing in on the Met Multiplier, an incentive scheme to get horses to races at Addington more regularly. All a horse has to do is start 15 times in a year and win at least one race. Far Too Rusty is poised to be the first to cash in on the $7,500 bonuses. There is a total of 20 bonuses up for grabs or $150,000. Next in line are the The Lutts (13), Westmelton Willie (13) and Advance Anvil 12. All have won their race to be eligible. Far Too Rusty runs in Race 7 at 9.20.

Young Guns: Great to see Auckland has split its Young Guns fillies’ heat this Friday night. The 17 fillies have been given two chances by the club, which is great news for connections. Should make for two interesting races with some well related and smart looking stock on display. The key highlight on Friday will be the Open FFA. Sir Lincoln battles Golda Ace, Easy On The Eye and others. Steven Reid looks to have a stranglehold on the even given he has four of the six runners.

Courtesy of Andrew Morris, Marketing and Communications Manager, Harness Racing New Zealand

MAIDEN BONUS RACE FOR ADDINGTON

Addington Raceway & Events Centre and the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club (NZMTC) are pleased to announce an innovative new year incentive with the running of the Pre Christmas Day Maiden Bonus race on its first Premier Night of harness racing in 2013.

The race, on Friday Feburary 1, will be eligible for pacers who were assessed as non-winners as at Christmas Day 2012.

Field selection will be based on points earned in all Totalisator races in New Zealand from 25 December 2012 up to and including 29 January 2013.

Points will be awarded as follows: 5 points for a 1st placing, 3 points for a 2nd placing, 2 points for a 3rd placing and 1 point for each start in that period.

The race will be conducted by preferential barrier draw based on: number of wins then earnings using the track grid.

The Pre Christmas Day Maiden Bonus will carry a stake of $15,000 and run over 1950m from a mobile start.

Addington’s Racing Manager Brian Rabbitt said: “this initiative provides owners and trainers with an ideal opportunity to race their horses at the conclusion of the new year circuit for a healthy stake for those horses that meet the criteria.”

“It’s a race that is programmed for those horses that have won or perhaps even won twice since Christmas Day but also for horses that are still maidens.”

Further details can be found in this week’s Harness Racing Weekly within the NZMTC Programme for 1 February 2013, at www.addington.co.nz or at www.hrnz.co.nz

Courtesy of Ged Mooar
Marketing & Commercial Manager
Addington Raceway & Events Centre

January 14, 2013

SAVEAPATROL STRONG RUN IN WORKOUT

Promising 3YO Saveapatrol stepped up at the Motukarara workouts on Saturday January 12 in preparation for his next start at the Northern Southland meeting on Thursday.

The Christian Cullen gelding confirmed his potential with a 6 3/4 lengths maiden victory at Winton on December 22 for Burnham trainer Mark Jones.

He was just as impressive beating multiple winners in the free-for-all workout, accounting for Monifieth, and well-performed mare Talaspring, back in Canterbury with Lew Driver for the upcoming feature mares races.

Talaspring, formerly leased by the late Doug Mangos and back with her owner, was a revelation in Victoria when teaming up with Brent Lilley, taking her record to 19 wins from 78 starts, for $232,464.  

A 1:53.4 Badlands Hanover mare, Talaspring led from the outside gate from Monifieth and Saveapatrol, who settled perfectly three back on the markers for Scott Stewart.

Saveapatrol moved up in the open with 450m to run and cruised to the line half a length clear of Monifieth, who was switched outside Saveapatrol to make his run in the straight.

Talaspring blew out the last bit, holding third three-quarters of a length back, ahed of Franco Nattai.

The winner paced the mobile 2200m in a useful 2:44.2 (2:00.2 mile rate), the leaders pouring on the pace over their last 800m in 55.4s and the closing 400m in 27.5s.

LONG COOL WOMAN RUNS CLEAR IN TRIAL

Long Cool Woman, a three-year-old Extreme Three filly in the Mark Jones stable, qualified in style with a three lengths win at Rangiora on Monday, November 10.

Driven by Regan Todd, the Paul Nixon-bred and owned filly trailed, went clear at the 600m, and was always in control from that point, pacing the the mobile 2000m in 2:33.5 (2:03.4 mile rate).

The leaders quickened over their last 800m in 58s and final 400m in 28.4s. She won as she liked from the Tim Butt-trained Armbro Teehee.

Long Cool Woman is from Oh Carol (Perfect Art-Andrew’s Song), who won twice from 11 starts.

Oh Carol is a half-sister to former useful pacer So Cool (1:58.1, five wins), and minor winners, Rock DJ, Atheendoftheday and Cool Sandy.

She is from the same family as After Midnight, who won twice in nZ and took a 1:55 record in North America.

Saveapatrol, last week’s smart Addington qualifier, trialled behind the mobile gate on Monday.

He left safely and well before being pulled up by Mark after the opening quarter.

SQUAREGAITERS WIN AT THREE DIFFERENT VENUES

Burnham trainer Mark Jones advanced to 16 training wins for the season with a winning trot treble December 7-9 _ Master Lavros (Auckland), Commander Jewel (Timaru) and Juneamy Castleton (Methven) _ taking the stable earnings to $108,315 for the term.  

The team also picked up seconds with pacers, Suerte and Alex, at Timaru, and newcomer Cup Day Spur, in the 1-2 win trot at Methven.

“They were all in the right races,” Mark said.

A return to winning form for former New Zealand Trotting Oaks winner Commander Jewel was pleasing at Timaru after a disappointing couple of seasons where she failed to recapture her best form.

The big 5YO CR Commando mare was returned to her original trainer by owner “Jim” McDonald, after picking up only a minor trot win in Australia in November, 2011.

She stepped safely off the inside of the 10m line in the 1-4 wins Timaru Curry Club Discretionary Trot, avoided an early breaker on the first turn, then was sent to the front beginning the final lap.
   
Commander Jewel, taken on by Good Hest over the last 800m, kept kicking without being fully extended to hold Tyron Lochie, who trailed over the final lap by half a length.

She was recording her sixth career win from 26 starts for $46,148 in stakes, and advanced to a four-win handicap assessment.

Juneamy Castleton, raceplaced at two, also showed good manners to open her winning account in the Fulton Hogan Trot at Methven.

The 3YO Majestic Son filly led after the opening 200m and held by 3/4 of a length from Bim Bom Bay in 3:18.7 for the 2400m, quickening over her last 800m in 60.8s.

Juneamy Castleton is a half-sister to other winners in Georgina Castleton, Castletonian and Heather Castleton, being from Anna Castleton (Gee Whiz II-Amy Castleton), the winner of four when trained by Barry Ward.

She was bred and is raced by Lex and Heather Williams, who raced top trot mare One Over Kenny to win nearly $1.1 million a few seasons back, and also now have Cup Day Spur in the Mark Jones stable.