MASTER LAVROS THROUGH FIRST OF THREE MOBILE TRIALS
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones had mixed feelings after Master Lavros left the mobile gate without any problems at the Motukarara trials on Wednesday, March 19.
Mark only had Master Lavros there to leave the gate safely then was pulled up out of the trial after the opening 400m.
Master Lavros, delared unruly for mobile starts after the Glenferrie Challenge. He was ok in his first mobile trial on Wednesday.
He has to trial three times to the satisfaction of the stipendiary stewards in NZ before being placed back in the draw.
He was declared out of the draw (unruly) by Australian stewards after galloping from the gate in the Glenferrie Farm Challenge at Menangle on March 2.
In an anomoly between the two countries, he would only be required to trial once successfully in Australia to be return to the barrier draw.
“Why couldn’t he do that in Australia ?,” Mark lamented after Wednesday’s trial.
In hindsight, Mark says Master Lavros become over enthusiastic on the day.
“I think I made a mistake. I went out of the birdcage real early and he got stirred up,” he said.
Master Lavros, on his return to Canterbury via Auckland, overcame a 30m handicap when beaten a neck by outsider Cool Cobber at Auckland in a C4 and faster trot on Auckland Cup night, March 7.
The 5YO Sundon gelding should have a great chance of returning to the winning list off 20m behind in the $25,000 4 & 5YO Glenferrie Farm Trotters Championship at Addington on April 4.
This season’s Dominion Handicap winner will then be kept going for a second crack at the $150,000 Rowe Cup at Auckland on May 9.
He finished a luckless fifth as a 4YO in last year’s Rowe, won by Stig from Springbank Sam, Boizel and Cyclone U Bolt.