MARK JONES MOVES TO THIRD WITH FIVE-WIN WEEKEND
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones moved to third on this season’s trainers premiership on 26 wins with a five-win spree last weekend.
Both Sunoflindenny and Juneamy Castleton were front-running winners of loose class trots on the grass at Waimate on Sunday, December 15, in the hands of trainer Mark Jones.
His latest winner, the Butterworth Racing Syndicate-owned Sunoflindenny, justified his strong support after arriving from the Mark Purdon/Natalie Rasmussen-trained barn just a week before Waimate.
“Mark Purdon’s a pretty good pre-trainer to get them off,” Mark enthused.
“He (Mark Purdon) finished with him after he didn’t begin at the Addington trials a couple of weeks ago.”
“He came to be trained on the beach to help him and I changed some gear on him.”
“He’s actually not a bad animal and good natured. I’ll probably look at taking him to Blenheim in the New Year as the stakes up there are pretty good,” he said.
Sunoflindenny bounded away in a galloped for the first few strides off the unruly but soon settled into his trotting gait in the Pegasus Spur At Woodland Stud Trot, striding clear after the opening 400m.
Juneamy Castleton, scored with a front-running fresh-up win over 1700m at Waimate.
The 4YO Sundon-Yankee Diedre gelding was always travelling like the winner from that point, holding good finisher Sundons Comet by 1 3/4 lengths in 3:31.8 for the 2600m stand, quickening over his last 800m in 59s.
The Overport Lodge team completed a winning Waimate double in the loose grade trots with Juneamy Castleton having a good sense of occasion, taking out the McMillans Feeds At Waimate CRT Mobile Trot.
The 4YO Majestic Son mare made a winning resumption for Waimate Club president Lex Williams, and wife Heather.
Juneamy Castleton, from the six gate over 1700m, had good gate speed to lead into the first turn.
She dashed clear turning for home and although beginning to tire over final 50m, was too good, holding late closer Merilane (three back) by three-quarters of a length.
With Blair Orange at Auckland for premier racing, Mark enlisted in-form Methven reinsman Ricky May for a winning Overport Lodge stable treble at Forbury Park on Friday, December 13.
The Overport Lodge treble contributed to five wins on the night for the multiple NZ Cup winning reinsman.
Pat’s First Sun, second-up since being leased by the YOR! Racing With Mark Jones Syndicate to race with owner Wayne Higgs, provided the Mark McNamara-managed syndicate with its second Forbury win.
Pat’s First Sun, successful racing for the YOR! Racing With Mark Jones Syndicate and Wayne Higgs, at Forbury Park.
The YOR! Racing With Mark Jones Syndicate earlier won a race with Curve at Forbury on June 6.
Pat’s First Sun (5g Sundon-Got Pat) had finished unplaced in five starts last term for Higgs and had broken in the run home first-up for the Jones team at Methven.
But at Forbury, Pat’s First Sun never looked like letting the syndicate or his supporters down.
The second favourite stepped to the front from the inside draw and Ricky May didn’t risk extending Pat’s First Sun in the run home to hold challenger Feather Boyz by a neck.
He was always doing just enough to hold in a handy 2:55.8 for the stand start 2200m, trotting his last 800m in 61.1s.
Pat’s First Sun will try his luck first-up in the 1-win grade again at Forbury this Friday.
Astrapi, also on his best behaviour last Friday when leading throughout to win the C1-4 Superfast Stuart Discretionary Trot, also returns to Forbury this Friday to contest a C1-5 trot over 2700m.
A firm favourite last Friday, the younger brother to Delft (Sundon-Miriam) was much too good, controlling the front end. He won as he liked by 4 1/2 lengths from Mum Beat Lyall, trotting the 2700m (stand) in 3:33.7 and his last 800m in 61s.
Tuxedo Max, a debut pacing winner at Forbury for the Mark Jones stable, confirmed the worth of some useful trial form.
“He’d been going pretty good apart from when he broke a hopple at the Addington trials,” Mark said.
The 3YO Elsu-Paris Hilton colt skipped away from the inside draw in the Taieri Gorge Train Pace, settling three back on the markers.
Ricky May bided his time waiting for a marker run in the straight and Tuxedo Max unwound well to outfinish long-time maiden and front-runner Bianca by 1 1/2 lengths.
Tuxedo Max paced the 2200m (stand) in 2:51.6, the leaders running their last 800m in 59.6s and final 400m in 29.6s.
By Jeff Scott