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FOG CAUSES HEADACHES FOR JEWELS VISITORS

By Garrick Knight

The relentless overnight fog which plagued Christchurch on Friday night and Saturday morning has affected the visiting contingent for next Saturday’s Harness Jewels.

Three of the six Australian invitees landed in Auckland on Saturday night but were unable to continue on to Christchurch as planned.

Tickle Me Pink, and Ardmore trainer-driver, Tony Herlihy, in action at Alexandra Park. (Trish Dunell photo).

A further two Aussie hopes, plus three northern runners were also grounded, including the second favourite for the 3YO Ruby, Tickle Me Pink.

It is a setback of at least 48 hours for the horses with the next flight due to depart Auckland in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Another three northern horses are due to fly on Tuesday morning, bringing the total to 11 currently in a state of flux.

Richard Cole is a part-owner of IRT, the shipping agents charged with delivering the horses to the Jewels which, coincidentally, they are the naming-rights sponsor for.

He points out that a number of factors out of the company’s hands prevented the flight from leaving Auckland this morning, or on any flight where fog is a possibility in Christchurch.

“The horses simply can’t go with the threat of fog, because the plane would divert to Sydney, and then it becomes a major red-tape issue.

“Our hands are tied and we are completely at the mercy of the weather, unfortunately.

“The ultimate decision lies with the flight captain whether to allow horses on the flight.”

Christchurch Airport lacks a key piece of radar software that would allow planes to land in foggy conditions, said Cole.

“It doesn’t have a fog detection system; if they did, planes could be guided in.

“There has been talk for a long time about it happening, but it never has.”

Cole confirmed that if the horses aren’t permitted to fly on Tuesday morning, every other morning until Saturday is an option.

“What we need is rain.

“Generally, when rain arrives, that reduces the possibility of fog.”

Sydney trainer Shane Tritton arrived in Auckland with Falcon Stride and Petes Big Jim on Saturday and says the disruptions to their preparations aren’t ideal.

Shane Tritton

“Obviously, the hardest part is you’d like to get them settled in and fast-worked Tuesday and Thursday.

“If we’d been able to land this morning, it would allow them to settle in and build their preparation in Christchurch throughout the week.

“This makes it a little more difficult as they’re probably going to have to do a bit of fast work tomorrow instead.”

Tritton is an experienced traveler, especially to New Zealand and says it’s nothing he can’t overcome.

“You have your highs and your lows when you travel.

“It’s in the hands of the gods and I’m sure we will get there.”

Tritton’s pair, plus Chris Frisby’s mare Major Occasion, and Anton Golino’s trotters Majestic Player and All Cashed Up, are all based at Tony Herlihy’s property near Auckland Airport for the time being.

“We opted to come here when we landed, because it was going to be a four-hour wait regardless, and on the off chance there was fog in Christchurch, it made sense to have them already settled.

“Tony’s in the same boat as us as he’s waiting with Tickle Me Pink, but at least she hasn’t had to leave home yet.”

Golino could not be reached for comment on Sunday, but Harness Racing New Zealand’s Racing Manager, Darrin Williams, said the delay had not sat well with the highly-regarded Victorian trainer.

“Anton is considering his options with his two horses now, regarding starting them in the Jewels.

“He was discussing that with their owner, Pat Driscoll, and getting back to me, but it seemed like a 50-50 call when I spoke to them.”

The fog has caused mayhem in Christchurch the last few days – Addington’s race meeting was called off halfway through the card because of it and the following morning at the same track, the Jewels trials were run in a blanket of it as well.

Even in one of the worst-case scenarios that the horses don’t land in Christchurch until Friday or even Saturday morning, it’s not insurmountable.

Two years ago, after a week of flight delays, champion mare The Orange Agent landed in Christchurch on the morning of the Group 1 New Zealand Breeders Stakes, which she went on to win comfortably.

Back in November, Temporale arrived in Christchurch the morning of the Dominion Handicap. On the same flight was the galloper Media Sensation, which won the 1000 Guineas at Riccarton the next day.

And in 1998, a contingent of New Zealand pacers got a police escort from the airport straight to Moonee Valley after repeated flight delays.

Among the cargo that day were Pride Of Petite, Brabham, Holmes D G and Lord Lester, all four of which went out and won on the night.

The six local horses waiting on a flight with the Australians are Tickle Me Pink, Baquero, In The Shadows, About Turn, Tiger Swift and Tricky Ric.

Tiger Swift’s stablemate, Triple Eight, was floated down last week while Betterthankaty, Pearl Harbour and Zeuss Bromac left Auckland by float on Sunday morning.

• NZ Harness News

Additional Note: The Shane and Lauren Tritton pair, and Chris Frisby’s Major Occasion, are booked to stay at the Overport Lodge stables of Mark Jones.

STYLISH MEMPHIS OUTSPRINTS MISS RUBY SUNSHINE

Stylish Memphis and Miss Ruby Sunshine hit out solidly in their Addington “pre-Jewels” trial on Saturday, May 25.

The Overport Lodge stablemates have front row draws for the $150,000 Terror To Love ‘Jewels Winner’ 2YO Diamond next Saturday, but will require luck in a hot juvenile fillies field.

Stylish Memphis and Ricky May run clear of stablemate Miss Ruby Sunshine in their Addington trial on Saturday.

Lulu Le Mans, back from New South Wales for the Australian partnership of Mark Jones and Aaron Goadsby, is a third stable runner for the Diamond.

Stylish Memphis, a lightly-raced sister to former stable stand-out Delightful Memphis, trailed Miss Ruby Sunshine in Saturday’s three-horse trial and was too good in the run home.

In the hands of race-driver Ricky May, Stylish Memphis ran clear by two lengths from Miss Ruby Sunshine (Sam Ottley) in a 1:58.4 rate fo the 1980m, the leaders last 800m in 59s and 400m in 30.6s.

“She seems a bit better since racing at Invercargill (on May 11) but it will be hard racing against the Allstars fillies,” said trainer, Mark Jones.

Sweet On Me, the daughter of Sweet Lou and champion mare Adore Me top entry for the Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen stable.

She’s a dominating favourite for the Jewels Diamond after winning five of her six starts, and being narrowly beaten in the other.

The Overport Lodge trio will start from barriers two (Lulu Le Mans), three (Miss Ruby Sunshine) and five (Stylish Memphis).

Sweet On Me has drawn barrier seven, while her stablemate Amazing Dream, a winner of three of eight starts, has drawn two on the second row.

STYLISH MEMPHIS 7th WINNER FOR DAM

Delightfulmemphisn, at the Meadowlands in the USA , couldn’t match the NZ win of younger sister Stylish Memphis at Winton less than 24 hours earlier, but it was a good weekend for Christchurch breeder, Wayne Higgs.

Stylish Memphis, raced by Mr Higgs from the Overport Lodge stable of Mark Jones, was a 2YO winner, second-up, in 1:58.7, adding to the growing record of her dam, Memphis Melody.

Former flagship Mark Jones-prepared mare Delightful Memphis was however race-timed in 1:50.4 with her third in a $US30,000 mares pace for the Nifty Norman stable.

Late last month, another by Bettor’s Delight from Memphis Melody (Badlands Hanover-OK Deb) in Memphis Tennesee, bred by Mr Higgs and sold out of the Jones stable to the Terry and Glenys Chmiel, was rewarded in Group Two 3YO company in the Southern Supremacy Final.

Memphis Tennessee, a brother to Delightful Memphis and Stylish Memphis, winning at Invercargill on October 6 for co-trainer Terry Chmiel. (Photo: Wild Range Photography).

Memphis Tennessee (1:58.9), now a winner of five from 15 starts for $84,625, is the third most successful from Memphis Melody (2:00.1, a winner herself from only seven starts).

Delightful Memphis (1:51.4) leads the way, having won over $330,000 in NZ, Australia and now North America.

She’s won five of her 13 USA starts this year, adding just over $US110,000 to her career total.

Harley Earl (1:55.8), the first foal from Memphis Melody, was another smart performer, initially for the Brendon Hill stable, winning 10 of 31 starts for $148,165.

Virginia Lightning (1:57.1), by Christian Cullen, was another good Australian winner for Memphis Melody, winning 13 races and $A76,375.

Memphis Melody, from the same maternal family as champion youngster Courage Under Fire (1:54.1), is now the dam of seven individual winners of 46 races.

Her latest winner, favourite Stylish Memphis worked to the front after the opening quarter of her mile dash at Winton, holding trailer and second favourite, Might Be Me, by half a head over the leaders last 400m in a slick 26.1s.

She joins Lulu Le Mans and Miss Ruby Sunshine as Mark Jones-trained contenders for the $150,000 Harness Jewels 2YO Diamond at Addington on June 1.

MISS RUBY SUNSHINE 7th IN JEWELS RANKING

Miss Ruby Sunshine should be safely assured of a Harness Jewels Diamond start at Addington on June 1 after winning at Forbury on Thursday, May 9.

The daughter of Sunshine Beach moved to seventh spot among the eligibles for the $150,000 2YO fillies diamond with her deserved maiden win.

Miss Ruby Sunshine, who could be one of three Mark Jones-trained runners for the Harness Jewels 2YO Diamond at Addington on June 1.

Overport Lodge junior reinswoman Sheree Tomlinson drove a cool race behind Miss Sunshine, bringing her home from three back on the markers.

She moved one off to find racing room turning for home, then angled back to the inside.

Miss Ruby Sunshine, full of running but hemmed up with 400m to run, unleashed a sharp finish to win by a length and a half in a 2:00.7 rate for the 2200m.

This was her first win in five starts, but she had been acquitting herself solidly in strong 2YO filly races this year.

She credited trainer Mark Jones with his 22nd NZ training win of the season, and the 43rd driving win this term for Sheree, who has a one-win advantage over John Morrison at the top of the NZ junior drivers premiership.

The trans-Tasman Overport Lodge entry for the Jewels Diamond could be three-strong if Stylish Memphis can feature at Winton on Saturday, or again next week.

Stylish Memphis is currently 12th in the ranking order for the Diamond, while Lulu Le Mans, for the last few months racing for the NSW team of Mark Jones and Aaron Goadsby, has been an Australian-trained invitee for the race.

Further IRT Harness Jewels Australian invitations issued

Following last week’s announcement of the first two Australian invites for the IRT Harness Jewels (Lulu Le Mans and Major Occasion), Harness Racing New Zealand and Addington Raceway are thrilled to now confirm our three latest Australian competitors.

Pete’s Big Jim (3yo Emerald), Falcon Stride (4yo Emerald) and Majestic Player (4yo Ruby) will represent their homeland in this year’s edition of the Jewels.

Shane and Lauren Tritton will bring back Pete’s Big Jim, who was a gallant second beaten just a neck by Another Masterpiece last year, and talented four-year-old gelding Falcon Stride across the Tasman for a Jewels endeavor.

Peter Kohlsdorf is the owner of Pete’s Big Jim, and was ecstatic to be able to return to New Zealand with his pride and joy.

“It’s hardly sunk in to be honest,” said Kohlsdorf. “I’ve been thinking about it since last year when we were just beaten a neck by Another Masterpiece. So we set a programme to come back with the horse to the Jewels again, if it was at all possible.”

Pete’s Big Jim has not had the best of luck this year, struggling with setbacks and lameness but Kohlsdorf and Tritton report the horse is on the way back up.

Falcon Stride is a horse that Shane Tritton has a high opinion of and has won 6 of his 14 career starts. He has previously won over a mile in 1:51.7.

“He’s a horse that I’ve said several times, if he was in a Miracle Mile and they went 1:48, I’ve got no doubt he’d be good enough to be there, ” said Tritton.

“I’m really excited about him. I know it’s a strong division don’t get me wrong, and he’s a horse that a lot of people won’t know a lot about. But he’ll turn some heads at the top of the straight if he can be close enough.”

Anton Golino will also return to the Harness Jewels when he presents four-year-old trotter Majestic Player in the Ruby.
Golino campaigned with Dance Craze at Cambridge in 2018. She was third despite being desperately unlucky in the running and has since gone on to win the Great Southern Star and Saturday night’s La Coocaracha.

The Yabby Dams Farm owned Majestic Player extended his career record to 13 wins from 25 starts when winning at Menangle untouched on Saturday night. This season alone he has won 7 of his ten attempts.

Pat Discoll of Yabby Dams Farm is elated to returning to New Zealand with Jewels contender for Australia. But he did explain to HRNZ that the horse has not been without his challenges.

“We are very honoured and privileged to get the invite and providing the horse has pulled up ok after Saturday night we will definitely be there,” said Driscoll. “He’s a bit of a stable star.”

“The horse has actually come from nowhere,” explained Driscoll.

“As a young horse and a two-year-old he was short in stature and gangly and everyone loved him because even though he tried, he couldn’t trot.”

“Each year he’s just got better and better and from the horse’s point of view it’s a wonderful story. A horse that had a wonderful will to win but just couldn’t trot, and each year has just improved. He just seems to be getting better every start.”

Yabby Dams Racing is an exclusive trotting focused farm, following European training styles and focusing on the best trotting bloodlines worldwide.

New Zealand Racing Board Harness Bookmaker Richard Wilson has released the opening prices on the New Zealand TAB for the latest Australian invites for the IRT Harness Jewels; Pete’s Big Jim $26; Falcon Stride $12 and Majestic Player $8. All IRT Harness Jewels future markets are now open on www.tab.co.nz

Courtesy of Jess Smith, HRNZ Marketing

SAM OTTLEY GAINS RICH WIN WITH ONE CHANGE

Samantha Ottley made the most of a catch drive behind an All Stars runner to the land the richest win of her career in the $161,000 PGG Wrightson NZ Yearling Sales 2YO Pace at Addington on Friday, May 3.

The Overport Lodge reinswoman, and a determined One Change (Bettor’s Delight-Changedown, by Falcon Seelster-Chaangerr), charged home to snatch a nose win over the favourite and All Stars stablemate, Smooth Deal (Tim Williams).

Samantha Ottley, after a five-win haul at Timaru in January last year.

It was another win for Sam in the Lone Star colours of co-owner Trevor Casey, and one of three wins on the night for the top reinswoman.

Sam’s previous richest win was in the 2016 $150,000 Harness Jewels 4YO Diamond at Cambridge with Overport Lodge mare, Rocker Band.

One Change, unbeaten in three race starts, rated 1:57.1 for the 1980m.

The half-brother to former useful filly Renske B adds to the family of NZ Cup winners Chokin and Changeover.

Sam’s Addington treble elevated her to 45 wins for the season, taking her career tally to 373 wins.

She was also successful with capable intermediate-grade trot mare Ruthless Kayla, for the Kevin Fairbairn stable, and with Bettathanfast, for the Cran Dalgety stable.

Sam, formerly the 2014 NZ junior driving champion, teamed up with the Mark Jones stable four years ago.

Meanwhile, fellow Overport Lodge reinswoman, Sheree Tomlinson added to her top junior season with a winning double at Invercargill on Saturday, to advance to 42 wins for the term.