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ATOMIC RED SETS 3YO WORLD RECORD IN NSW DERBY HEAT

By Michael Court

The “Purdon Express” rolled on during heats of the NSW Pacers Derby at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday night, February 18, with the champion New Zealand trainer’s All Stars stable winning two of the three qualifying heats.

Atomic Red wins in a 1:54.4 rate (2400m) in the Second NSW Derby Heat from Astride and Ultimate Machete. (Photo courtesy of NSWHRC).

While the defeat of Ultimate Machete appeared to burst that bubble for Purdon, who admitted his Bettors Delight youngster was beaten a long way from home, Vincent and Motu Meteor both scored strong wins and will give Purdon a hat-trick of hopes in the final with Ultimate Machete still qualifying despite a fading third.

Still it was the win of Atomic Red which had everybody talking as the Steve Turnbull-trained and Amanda Turnbull-driven son of Rocknroll Hanover led all the way over the 2400m to score a slashing win in a track record time of 2:50.6.

Taken straight to the front from gate three Atomic Red kept his rivals off the bit and chasing for the whole journey with a final mile in 1:54.4 to win by 2.3m from Astride with Ultimate Machete another three metres back a tiring third.

That incredible run knocked two-tenths of a second off Zee Dana’s track record run set at Menangle just 12 months ago.

While Purdon qualified three runners for the Derby, the night was also a triumph for the country stables.

Steve Turnbull qualified two runners, Atomic Red and Conviction for next weekend’s $200,000 final.

Bernie Hewitt qualified Pretty Hot, Brad Hewitt got Our Triple Play through to the big one.

Russell Jack’s Warden Express will also be there next Saturday night, as will Wilberforce trainer David Brown’s Hes My Mate.

EYRE I COME OVERCOMES THE ODDS TO WIN GROUP THREE FFA

Twelve months ago the prospect of Eyre I Come and Master Lavros competing in a Group Three trot, let alone finishing first and third, was unimaginable.

Veterinary advice suggested both injury-plagued trotters wouldn’t race again, after Master Lavros suffered a hind suspensory problem 14 months ago, and Eyre I Come had further knee issues a year ago.

But with the right care and attention, the Mark Jones-trained squaregaiters have clawed their way back.

Eyre I Come, notched his eighth win and his first Group Three success at Addington on Friday night.

At Addington on Friday, February 17, Eyre I Come exceeded expectations with his career highlight, winning the $23,000 Teltrac Communications Ltd Summer Trotting Free-For-All.

From two on the second row and again superbly driven by this seasonal driving centurion Blair Orange, Eyre I Come, ended up with a two and three back trailing spot on the outer.

He loomed up turning for home and looked set for a decisive win but peaked on his run over the final 50m, allowing Everbody Knows, with an inside run, and front-running Master Lavros to come back at him near the line.

However, Eyre I Come did enough, holding by a head for his third win in six starts since winning first-up for nine months at Addington in late November.

It was a big scalp for Eyre I Come in his first run in top free-for-all company against the likes of Master Lavros and beaten favourite Marcoola (parked).

Co-owner Grant Hatton, who co-races the 6YO Majestic Son gelding with Melbourne owners, Merv and Meg Butterworth, was delighted with the surprise victory.

The mobile 1950m trip probably suited Eyre I Come, coming off a good sit, but it was obvious at the finish he’d had enough, getting rocky in his gait, and breaking stride after the line.

But the free-for-all “newbie” got the job done for his eighth win in 34 lifetime starts.

Trainer Mark Jones, driving Master Lavros, was pleased for connections Eyre I Come could snare another good win, in a 1:58.9 rate for the 1950m.

He was also satisfied with the run of Master Lavros, who kept fighting after repelling a stern challenge for the front-end from Clint Ford (Marcoola).

However, the former Trotter of the Year was again down on his former best. He’ll now have a 10-day break to freshen.

Both the Overport Lodge trotters will try to be as good as they can be for the $80,000 NZ Trotting Championship at Addington on April 7.

Meanwhile, 3YO filly stablemate Delightful Memphis again had to settle for second to the All Stars filly Spanish Armada, this time in Friday’s $146,250 PGG Wrightson NZ Yearling Sales 3YO Fillies Final.

Both fillies were coming in fresh after competing at Auckland in late December.

Delightful Memphis, without a lead-up trial or workout since Auckland, held the early lead but driver Blair Orange, knowing she wasn’t quite at her best, was happy to trail their arch-rival when they came calling around the first turn.

From there, it was a case of the two top rated fillies having yet another quinella all parcelled up.

Spanish Armada held by 1 3/4 lengths to claim the $93,000 winner’s cheque over Delightful Memphis, who earned a nice $26,325 for second.

The others in the five horse field were headed by Sacred Angel, a further 3 1/2 lengths away.

The winner rated 1:57.9 for the mobile 1950m in the slushy conditions, quickening over her last 800m in 55.5s and the final 400m in 27s.

Spanish Armada and Delightful Memphis have now quinellaed their last five starts and run eight quinellas overall in their two and three-year-old racing.

Spanish Armada holds the advantage in their clashes, finishing seven times ahead of Delightful Memphis.

The two times Delightful Memphis has finished in front of Spanish Armada was in a Alabar Sires Stakes Fillies Heat on December 9, and also in the Harness Jewels 2YO Diamond last June, when Delightful Memphis finished second to Partyon, with Spanish Armada third.

LAZARUS GETS FIRST INVITE TO MIRACLE MILE

Champion pacer Lazarus is the first horse into the Ainsworth Miracle Mile following a devastating win in the $200,000 Cordina Chicken Farms Chariots Of Fire at Menangle on Saturday night, February 11.

The New Zealand four-year-old, trained by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, led for the last 800m and held off stablemate Our Waikiki Beach in a career-best 1:49 for the mobile mile.

Champion pacer Lazarus.

The win earned him an automatic invite to the $750,000 Miracle Mile at Menangle on February 25, which Purdon wasted no time in accepting.

That means Lazarus will not have to start in next Saturday’s two preludes of the Mile, with the first two in those preludes also guaranteed Miracle Mile invites.

The balance of the field will be invited at the discretion of the directors of the New South Wales Harness Racing Club and will not be decided until after next Saturday’s prelude.

The Group One Chariots was the 23rd win in Lazarus’s 27-start career and he is closing in on $2million in stakes.

He is a son of champion Bettors Delight and Bethany.

Saturday’s other feature, the $51,500 Cordina Food Company Sibelia Stakes was won in all-the-way fashion by Cyclone Kate in a personal best 1:50.3, earning her an automatic spot in the $200,000 Ladyship Mile on Miracle Mile night.

Courtesy of Mandy Zammitt, Social Media & Trotguide Co-ordinator.

GRANT HATTON BUYS FILLY FROM SAVEPATROL FAMILY

Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones secured a close relative of star pacer Saveapatrol and promising 2YO The Bus for owner Grant Hatton at the Australia Pacing Gold Melbourne sale on Sunday, February 5.

The filly, by recently deceased sire Mach Three from Rigaleto Franco, was a $16,000 buy.

Grant Hatton, furthered his association with the family of Saveapatrol, securing a filly relative at the APG Melbourne Yearling Sale.

“We have left her in Melbourne be broken in by Dave Karr and then we will bring her to New Zealand,” Mark said.

She is eligible to return to Australia for the Australasian Breeders Crown, Vicbred and Vicbred Platinum series.

Her dam Rigaleto Franco is a successful producing half-sister by Live Or Die to Rondel Franco (1:51.6, US), the Falcon Seelster dam of Saveapatrol (1:56.9, 11 wins from 18 starts for $145,618), Rondels Rose (winner of one each in NZ & Australia), The Bus (1:59.8, 2YO qualifier) and Runaround Rhonda, the latter now the race-placed Artsplace dam of (Now) I Get Around (1:59.8, three wins).

Rigaleto Franco is the dam of six to race for six winners including Courageousnquick (1:56.1, 17 wins & $236,427), whose wins included a Victorian Sapling Stakes, a NSW Pink Bonnet, a heat & semi-final of the Australian Gold, a heat of the Vict. Oaks, a repechage of the Breeders Crown, 2 heats of the Vicbred; and ran second in a Tasmanian Oaks.

She’s also the dam of Swift Stride (1:56.6, 21 wins, & $94,400); The Court Jester (1:54.7, 9 wins & $82,182); Rigaleto Gold (2 wins at 2 and 3) and the dam of the 2016 Southern Cross Gr.2 winner Stars Of Courage (1:54.2 & $62,878); (My) Wings Of An Angel (5 wins & $34,051) and minor winner Quality of Life.

Rigaleto Franco’s dam Reigning Franco is the dam of six winners, including: Rondel Franco (1:51.6f, USA, two NZ wins at 2 and 3, and a further 35 USA wins for $684,003), Franco Renegade (1:55.5, 19 wins & $222,218), Franco Rock (1:59.3f, two USA wins), Rapid Fire Franco (p2, 2:00.5, 2 NZ wins), Reign Again Franco (7 wins & $25,877), and Ruling Franco (4 wins & $17,585).

Besides Rondel Franco, other daughters of Reigning Franco have bred on.

Rapid Fire Franco is the dam of Righteous Franco (dam of former Canterbury mare Lighting Mach, 10 NZ wins, 1:51.2, US), Renaissance Franco (1:57.9 & $54,586) and Rowan Franco (1:56.2 & $43,006).

Reign Again Franco, at stud in Australia, is the dam of Sovereign Flight (1:53.9, seven wins & $41,950), Reign In Spain (1:58.9), Artifice (seven wins & $51,564); and Walk With Kings (eight wins).

She’s also the grandam of Fiori (1:54.4 & $82,218), Bay Tint (1:59.4)

Ruling Franco is the grand-dam of Cagney (1:59.7, six wins).

Another producer from Reigning Franco is the unraced Repeat A Franco, is the Badlands Hanover dam of Franco Revel (1:57, 13 wins & $92,610) and Regency Franco (three wins), while Repeat A Franco’s sister Resolute Franco is the dam of This Excuse Is Fine (1:59, three wins).

Reigning Franco’s dam was the former top 1970s mare Royal Belmer (by Thurber Frost), who won 12 of 42 starts for the late Jack Smolenski, including the first ever NZ Standardbred Breeders Stakes at Addington 1973.

ROCKER BAND RATES 1:52.1 IN GROUP ONE LADYSHIP CUP

In a virtual action replay of the previous weekend, the smart Greg Brodie-owned mare Rocker Band lowered her fastest mile rate again, this time to 1:52.1, with her first Australian Group One win.

The 5YO Rocknroll Hanover-Mainland Banner mare, transferred from the Mark Jones stable to the care of Barry Purdon for logistical reasons for her Australian racing, led from the seven gate for Zac Butcher in the 1720m Alabar Ladyship Cup at Melton, on Saturday, February 4.

Rocker Band, shown winning the Movenpick Mile (1700m) at Auckland on November 4. (Trish Dunell photo).

She held the All Stars mare A Piccadilly Princess by half a neck in the Group One mares feature, taking her earnings closer to $300,000 from 12 wins in 34 starts.

Meanwhile, at Wyndham on Sunday, Mr Brodie’s promising 3YO Whittaker was again very impressive in the deep south of NZ for the Mark Jones stable.

Whittaker (3c Sportswriter-Anarchy), a hot $1.30 favourite, was handy from the outset from the three gate for driver Sam Ottley, pressing to the front at the 1700m.

They trailed second favourite Royal Bengal at the 1400m then proved much too good in the run home, dashing clear to win by 4 1/4 lengths in 2:59.8 (2:00.5 mile rate) for the 2400m.

Earlier stablemate Aymar was again luckless on her south campaign, trailing three back on the markers from an inside second row draw.

She was unable to find racing room when travelling well down the straight, having to settle for fifth as the front-running Regan Todd-trained Kayteeoh Denario held in 1:54.9 for the 1609m.

The Mark Jones stable advanced to 30 wins for the season with other wins over the weekend by Say Your Pres in the maiden trot at Ashburton on Saturday, February 4, and by good grade trotter Eyre I Come, at the Amberley grass meeting at Rangiora on Monday, February 6.

Eyre I Come, who scored his seventh win from 33 starts, taking his earnings to $80,343, at Rangiora on Monday.

Eyre I Come, after failing to step on terms at his previous start at Addington, bounced back on the grass, overcaming a 30m handicap to take out the C2 and faster Davis Ogilvie Handicap Trot on Monday.

Back early, he tracked up Gershwin beginning the final lap, pressing to the front at the 1200m.

He held All Settled Down by three-quarters of a length, with Gershin holding third, ahead of Soney Beatt, with the winner finishing off with a fast 27.6s final quarter.

Say Your Pres (3f The Pres-Winfield Invasion), a beaten favourite first-up when sixth at Motukarara the previous week, appeared much more comfortable on the all-weather at Ashburton, trailing early, then leading over the last 1600m for trainer Mark Jones.

The younger half-sister to this season’s three-win trotter McLovin came clear in the run home to win by 3 1/4 lengths in 3:09.6 (2400m).

Say Your Pres, who trotted her last 800m in 58.4s and final 400m in 28.5s, was bred and is raced by Dunedin’s Daryl and Anne Trainor.

Her grand-dam Egnal (Noodlum-Windfeld Del) won four, while her great grand-dam Winfield Del (Armbro Del-Charming Widow) was an unraced since to the former top squaregaiter Alias Armbro, who won 15 races including the 1979 Dominion Handicap at Addington when driven by Mike De Filippi for trainer Brian Gliddon.

Meanwhile, fellow Overport Lodge filly, Ariadne Lavra, fought gamely but had to settle for second to front-running Bonnie Joan in a 1:52.8 mile in the First Nevele R Fillies Heat at Ashburton, being race-timed in 1:53.1.

Eased from the seven gate early, she moved up parked at the 800m and chased well but Bonnie Joan was too good in front over her last 800m in a sizzling 53.1s and final 400m in 26.2s.

Rocker Band’s half-sister Glenferrie Classic improved three wide with cover from the 800m in the Prodigal Seelster Mares Summer of Speed Series and battled away for fifth, being race-timed in a career best 1:53.1 (1609m).

Victory went to Ultimate Desire, who after moving forward early to find a trialing spot on the outer, was out and rolling three wide from the 600m and kept going to win in 1:52.6.

The pace was more even than the 3YO fillies heat with the leaders running the last 800m in the mares race in 55.2s and closing 400m in 27.6s.