PERISSA’S NEW OWNERS ENJOY FIRST-UP METHVEN SUCCESS
Banks Peninsula Trotting Club administrators and friends, Maurice McDermott and Kerry Dellaca, were quickly rewarded for their investment in 7YO mare Perissa at Methven last Sunday, September 18.
They put the disappointment of a late withdrawal when scheduled to have their first start for them at Addington 10 days earlier.
Co-owner Maurice McDermott with Perissa’s in-form driver Sam Ottley. (Race Images photo).
Perissa suffered an untimely knock when arriving at Addington, ruling her out of that assigment, but she bounced back quickly to win first-up in their ownership at Methven.
“Grass track racing really suits her when things go her way,” said Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones.
She stepped well to take up the running and was strong in the run home, holding by 1 1/4 lengths in the C2-4 Hornby Workingmen’s Club Handicap Pace, in 3:08.1 (2400m), the last 800m in 57.2s.
Perissa, a 7YO Art Major-Riwaka Star mare, had been well placed to win seven of 63 starts and over $50,000 for former owners, Steve and Maureen O’Brien, but they decided to end their run with her last month.
She will now try for a popular win for the new owners at their home track meeting at Motukarara on October 2.
Maurice McDermott, a former president, is now a committeeman, and Kerry Dellaca, a steward, of the Banks Peninsula Club.
Winning owners, Kerry Dellaca and Maurice McDermott, with their first-up winning mare, Perissa, at Methven. (Race Images photo).
Mr McDermott, a dairy farmer, belongs to a notable NZ harness racing family.
His late father Eugene was a former president of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club and co-breeder of 1970s free-legged star Robalan, while his grand-father, also Eugene, was a former amateur rider and successful trainer-driver, who tragically died from a heart attack while driving in the 1939 New Zealand Cup.
Maurice’s brother John, a former long-time committeeman of the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club, has been a trainer in latter years and is also an amateur driver.
The brothers McDermott have had success as partners racing the useful winners Croker (three including a Sires Stakes Silver) and Flyover (10 wins & $126,233), Jack Hinton (three wins) and Richie McCaw (three wins), named by Maurice after becoming good friends with the champion former All Black captain.
Maurice, who also won four races with Scintilla, who he co-raced with is father, and three races with Move It Molly.
Kerry Dellaca, brought up in Buller, is formerly a chief financial offer for New Zealand Cricket and run his own financial services company.
He was also a director in the successful family Postie Plus clothing company business, and has had previous harness racing success, predominantly as a co-owner of five-win NZ performers, Jeans Mattjesty (who has added another nine wins in Australia, taking his earnings to $A91,586) and Antique Holmes.
Rocknroll Nevin, holds off the challengers first-up at Methven. (Race Images photo).
Mr Dellaca also co-races Lis Rulz, who won at Methven 12 months ago for the Greg and Nina Hope stable, and regained winning form at Oamaru on September 11.
Trainer Mark Jones, and stable driver Sam Ottley, had a great spring day, with a winning treble at Methven, also delivering a maiden double with Rocknroll Nevin and Amissaduqa.
The former, a 3YO Rock N Roll Heaven filly from Mary Niven, raced by the Patsy Marie Syndicate, exceeded expectations with a strong debut win in the Richmond Club Pace.
Rocknroll Nevin, a fourth-line descendant of Patsy Marie (three wins including two 2YO wins in the early 1980, is from an unraced half-sister by Courage Under Fire to ex-Kiwi notable Australian winners, Ellis Rose (1:53.9, 10 wins) and Sniggihdis (1:55.9, six wins), and also to hardy NZ winner Booster (1:58, seven wins).
Safe but slow early, Rocknroll Nevin only had three behind her a lap out but she was soon on the move, taking up the running at the 1000m.
However, she raced greenly in front and lugged out, handing up the front and knuckling down to her task again in the open.
Rocknroll Nevin kept finding enough in the run home to hold by a head from longshot Ellmers Image in 3:16.1 (2400m), the leaders last 800m in 59.2s and final 400m in 29.5s.
Amissaduqa shows good stamina to take out the 3000m maiden at Methven on Sunday. (Race Images photo).
Mark Jones felt his best chance was with Amissaduqa in the Ashburton MSA Liquor Centre Pace, over the 3000m maiden staying trip, and he duly obliged at his second race start.
The 4YO Gotta Go Cullect-Venus Devine gelding is raced by Christchurch breeders, Darryl and Dean Jones, who despite having the same surname, are not related to Mark.
The brothers also had good success from the stable with Tuxedo Max, who scored one of his five NZ wins from 24 starts at Methven two years ago.
Tuxedo Max has added another six wins across the Tasman, taking his earnings to $A49,167.
The Jones brothers bred Ammisaduqa from Venus Devine, a Riverboat King mare who won once, when prepared by Colin and Julie De Filippi, at Addington in 2008.
Ammisaduqa, named after the Venus tablet referring to the record of astronomical observations of Venus, is the third and final foal from Venus Devine.
Her second foal, So Devine (by Ohoka Arizona), won once from three starts last term for the Overport Lodge team.
Venus Devine was a fifth line descendant of Hindu Star, the Brahman half-sister to Sakuntala (most notably the dam of former top-winning mare Tuapeka Star and grand-dam of Ermis and former NZ Cup winner 1997 Iraklis) and Canis Minor (11 wins).
Ammisaduqa showed some of the family staying ability, settling sixth and working to the front at the 1700m, before trailing Man Of Change, beginning the final lap.
The warm $2.50 favourite finished off well, coming clear by a length from early leader Jonty James in 4:05.9 for the 3000m.
The leaders picked up the pace over their last 800m in 59.1s and final 400m in 29.3s, suggesting Ammisaduqa can progress ahead of his current C1 assessment.
In announcing Santa Anita Park as this year’s winner, organisers have made special mention of the quality of the combined Addington Raceway/NZRB entry.