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ARIADNE LAVRA SHOWS FITNESS FOR NEVELE R FILLIES SERIES

Promising Overport Lodge filly Ariadne Lavra is Ashburton-bound on Saturday for the first $14,999 Nevele R Fillies Heat after a sharp C1-2 win at Invercargill on Saturday, January 28.

Ariadne Lavra, the only horse to defeat promising colt Raukapuka Ruler under race conditions, showed her fitness for this week with a classy south display.

Ariadne Lavra, the winner of five from nine going into the first Nevele R Fillies Series Heat at Ashburton this Saturday.

The daughter of Art Major and Hilarious Lavra settled sixth off the 20m line but some distance from the leader Highland Girl, who had them running from the outset.

Driver Sam Ottley found a one-one sit on the back of fellow 20m marker Bettor Enforce mid-race, but was left to plan the iron filly over the last 1300m when Bettor Enforce pressed to the front for Allan Beck.

Ariadne Lavra wouldn’t be denied, lifting to beat Bettor Enforce and in-form 3YO gelding Baileys Rock, who ran on without threatening the winner, in a strong 3:25.2 for the stand start 2700m (2:02.3 mile rate).

Although a very good time on a day where Classie Brigade paced an astonishing 3:53.5 for 3200m to win the Invercargill Cup, Ariadne Lavra’s run was just under three seconds outside the NZ fillies mark, set by Lancewood Lizzie at Auckland in 2014.

The leaders had the pace on over their last 800m in 56s and closing 400m in 26.8s, which suggests she will be very competitive in her upcoming fillies commitments.

Ariadne Lavra, which racked up her fifth win from nine career starts for breeder-owner, Lavros Lodge principal Kypros Kotzikas, furthered a successful day for the Overport Lodge team of Mark Jones and driver Sam Ottley.

Their Invercargill winners, Ariadne Lavra and Whittaker both confirmed their status respectively for the Nevele R/Macca Lodge Southland Oaks, and Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes.

Both $45,000 finals will be run at Invercargill on Sunday, April 30.

TRANS-TASMAN SATURDAY DOUBLE FOR QUEENSLAND OWNER

Overport Lodge pacer Whittaker landed the first leg of a notable Australasian double for Southport (Queensland) owner Greg Brodie at Invercargill on Saturday.

Mr Brodie’s colours were also to the fore with top mare Rocker Band at Melton, Victoria, on Saturday night, when she lowered her career best mile rate to 1:52.3 when winning a $18,000 M1-2 pace over 1720m.

Rocker Band, taken across the Tasman for a crack at some feature mares races by Clevedon trainer Barry Purdon in February, will return to Mark Jones for breeding at the end of her race career.

Whittaker, and Sam Ottley, make an impressive return to racing at Invercargill for owner Greg Brodie and the Mark Jones stable. (Bruce Stewart photo).

“Barry did such a fantastic job with her when I sent her up north in the spring that it made a good business decision to leave her with him to take over for these races in Australia,” said Mark.

Rocker Band, who settled three back on the inner from an inside second row draw in the DNR Logistics Pace, finished stoutly along the inner to by 1.5 metres, the leaders running their last 800m in 54.6s and closing 400m in 27.1s.

At Invercargill, promising Sportswriter colt Whittaker resumed his smart career by impressively justifying his hot favouritism in the C0 McKnight & Brown Mobile Pace over 2200m at just his third race start and his first since July.

Whittaker, despite being left in the open, proved too good for the All Stars pacer Grand Rainbow, who tracked him up but couldn’t run the winner down.

Driver Samantha Ottley had Whittaker travelling well, 1 3/4 lengths clear at the finish, in a swift 2:40.7 (1:57.5 mile rate), the leaders running their last 800m in 57.3s and final 400m in 26.9s.

“He’s a professional little racehorse and hopefully he can take the step up against the better 3YOs,” Mark said.

Whittaker was blooded for 3YO classic racing with a second to Pacing Major in an Australasian Breeders Crown Heat at Addington last July.

He ran Pacing Major to 1 1/2 lengths, and outfinished On The Rantan by a neck, in the Breeders Crown Heat, won in a 1:59.1 rate (1950m), with the last 800m that night in a fast 55s and closing 400m in 26.5s.

Mr Brodie secured Whittaker after he showed smart 2YO promise last term for Peter (Mark’s father) and Leonne Jones as Tadpole’s Legacy.

However, as the colt is by Sportswriter (p3, 1:48.6), Mr Brodie couldn’t think of a more appropriate name for the colt than Whittaker, the surname of his late friend, former long-serving Sydney Morning Herald turf writer Bill Whittaker.

He applied to HRNZ for a name change, which was granted.

Whittaker has “black type” on his dam sire, with third dam being the good northern 1980s mare Precious Dina (by Mercedes), who won eight of 57 starts including the 1986 North Island Breeders Stakes.

Precious Dina left Pacific South, dam of upset 2000 Group One-winning Auckland Cup mare Flight South, beating Yulestar and Holmes DG, over 3200m.

Flight South also numbered victories in the 2001 Premier Mares Championship at Addington (1:56.3 mile rate, 1950m, beating Kym’s Girl) and Group Two Franklin Cup (3200m) among her 12 wins for $292,566 in stakes for Cambridge trainers, Andrew and Lyn Neal.

Whittaker comes through Honey Trap, a half-sister by Ok Bye to Pacific South.

Honey Trap won once from just eight starts and left Whittaker’s dam Anarchy (by Holmes Hanover), who was also lightly-raced winning twice and being placed five times from 10 starts.

Further back in Whittaker’s maternal line, Precious Dina’s grand-dam Portmadoc left Princess Nandina, dam of highly successful 1980s American filly/mare Pacific (p3, 1:53, winner of $871,550) and Twice As Good (1:56.5).

Twice As Good, in NZ, is the five-win dam in NZ of nine individual winners including Waitfornoone (1:55.7, 11 wins), St Barts (1:57, 14 wins), Fight Fire With Fire (1:56, seven wins), Mark Dennis (1:54.2, Aust, 38 wins & $262,999), Double Shot (1:57.9, six wins) and Twice As Hot (five wins), the latter becoming the In The Pocket dam of Inter Dominion runnerup Flaming Flutter (1:53.9, 20 wins & $A669,115).

By Jeff Scott

GLENFERRIE CLASSIC TO TARGET WAIKOUAITI CUP

Cromwell Cup winner Glenferrie Classic is to be freshened for another grass track country cup target, the $14,000 Waikouaiti Cup (2600m) at Courage Under Fire Raceway on Sunday, February 12.

“She will wait for the Waikouaiti Cup as its hard to place a now four-win mare,” said

Glenferrie Classic furthers her useful record by winning the Alabar Cromwell Cup at the Wyndham Harness Racing Club’s meeting on January 11, 2017. (Photo by Wayne Huddleston – Wild Range Photography, courtesy of Southland Harness Racing).

Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones.

The Mornington Tavern-sponsored cup at Waikouaiti is suitable, as like at Cromwell, is over 2600m from a stand start.

Despite scrambling away at the start, Glenferrie Classic soon hit her straps with driver Sam Ottley finding a perfect one-out and one-back trail behind stablemate Perissa.

She finished the race off well, holding late finisher Statham by a neck, in 3:27.2 for the stand start 2600m, the leaders running their last 800m in 58.9s and final 400m in 28s.

Glenferrie Classic, the richly-bred daughter of champion sire Bettor’s Delight and 2005 New Zealand Cup-winning mare Mainland Banner, notched her third win from five 4YO starts.

She has been the runnerup in her other two starts this term and is showing a good liking for grass track racing.

Her broodmare rating is assured with her light career record now four wins from 16 starts and a 1:55.9 mile mark to her credit at Winton.

Mark was pleased to race her in the south as two of her owners, Matai Farms Ltd, and Brendan Duffy, are based there.

Matai Farms Ltd director Bathan Muir is a committeeman of the Wyndham Harness Racing Club, who staged the Cromwell Cup meeting at their away venue.

Mr Muir is Wyndham-based, while Mr Duffy lives at nearby Seaward Downs, near Edendale.

Mark is also likely to return her south for the Southern Country Cups Final at Invercargill in April.

The other Glenferrie Classic owners are Equine Investments Ltd of Christchurch, consisting of Hamish and Kim Scott, and Gavin and Sherryn Sauders, who raced the former top pacer and 1989 New Zealand Cup winner, Inky Lord, from the stable of Gavin’s brother, Brian Saunders (now retired from horse training).

Glenferrie Classic and her year older half-sister Rocker Band are both strong in physique, but Glenferrie Classic is a laid back staying type, while Rocker Band has more high speed.

Rocker Band, last season’s Harness Jewels 4YO Diamond winner in 1:53.3 (mile) for owner Greg Brodie, has now officially joined the Barry Purdon stable for an Australian crack at two Group One mares races in February.

The Rocknroll Hanover mare is likely to contest the $A100,000 Harness Breeders Victoria Ladyship Cup at Melton on February 4 and the $A200,000 Cordina Chickens Ladyship Mile at Menangle on February 25, with Barry also campaigning Hug The Wind and Jack’s Legend at the Melton summer carnival.

Rocker Band, winner of 10 and nine times placed in 32 starts for $205,359, has been a model of consistency in her north racing this term with Barry Purdon filling a caretaker role in recent months.

She beat subsequent Westport Cup winner Bronze Over at Auckland on November 4 in a 1:54.9 rate (1700m) and has been Group race-placed at her last three starts.

She ran third to Dream About Me and Arden’s Choice in the Group Three Caduceus Club Northern Breeders Stakes on December 9, followed by
seconds in the Group One Rosslands Queens Of Hearts (to Dream About Me) on December 16, and in the Group Two JLT Futurity 4 & 5YO Stakes (to Chase The Dream) at Cambridge on December 24.

Her dam Mainland Banner (Christian Cullen-Corporate Banner) has fashioned a successful record at stud, just as she did on the track when she won 17 of just 22 starts for $684,579 in stakes.

Her five New Zealand-bred foals have all been smart winners.

Peruvian Banner (1:52.4, US, one NZ win from five starts, plus nine USA wins for $95,896), Stunin Banner (1:56.2, Aust, 15 Australasian wins for $123,752) and Return To Sender (1:52.6, US, eight NZ wins for $102,148), were her first three foals ahead of Rocker Band and Glenferrie Classic.

Mainland Banner, who took a 1:55.1 mile record herself, was exported to Australia by owner Peter Chambers after foaling Glenferrie Classic.

Meanwhile, Titan Banner, the half-brother by Art Major to Mainland Banner, has increased the family profile by running third in both the Harness Jewels 4YO Emerald and November’s Group One New Zealand Cup.

Titan Banner (1:56.1) has taken his record to 12 wins and 13 placings in 33 starts for $195,613 in earnings.

ARANNALEA CLEARS OUT AT TIMARU

Timaru co-owned squaregaiter Arannalea made a stunning return to racing in the hands of trainer Mark Jones at the Phar Lap Raceway on Friday, January 6, 2016.

The former promising 2YO trot filly made a mess of her maiden rivals in the Equine Veterinary Services Trot.

Arannalea, in full flight at Timaru on January 6, for Overport Lodge trainer, Mark Jones (Race Images photo).

First-up for 11 months and without the benefit of a lead-up trial, she put in one nervous step at the start but soon had the front for Mark.

She was revelling in her work for much of the stand start 2600m trot.

Arannalea spreadeagled the field early in the run home, clearing out to win by 5 1/2 lengths from outsiders, Red Hot Poker and Abby’s Delight, in 3:28.8.

“I’d been happy with her work even though she hadn’t had a trial,” said Mark.

Arranalea, by Pegasus Spur, won two minor 2YO trots and ran third behind High Gait and Missandei in the Group Two Lone Star Riccarton Sires Stakes 2YO Trotters Championship at Addington.

She also ran fifth behind High Gait, Wilma’s Mate, Conon Bridge and Missandei in the NZ 2YO Trotting Stakes, but mixed her gait in the run home in Missandei’s 2YO Harness Jewels at Ashburton.

Taken to Auckland in search of a maiden trot win last term, she managed a second and a third from six starts, then was spelled last February.

She is raced by Timaru accountant Graham Stoddart, along with “Beer” McCutheon, Kevin Schmack, P Darby, “Bub” Phillips and “Pup” Hulston.

The owners also raced her older half-brother Beau Brummell, a former 2YO NZ trot record holder for the Overport Lodge team, who went on to win 10 races and $83,769 in Australia.

Another half-sister in Debaneyre has won twice for the Mike Austin stable.

Arannalea, Beau Brummell and Debaneyre are from Lady Boo Kay, a Sundon mare from good trot mare Zola’s Pride (eight wins from 67 starts for $60,660 when trained by Dick Prendergast and the runnerup to Tobago in the 1990 Ordeal Trotting Cup at Addington.

In latter years, Lady Boo Kay has left a Majestic Son colt and a Orlando Vici filly for the majority of the Arannalea owners.