MASTER LAVROS TO RENEW STENT RIVALRY IN MAY
Overport Lodge trainer-driver Mark Jones and Master Lavros will extend their rivalry with Stent at Addington in May.
Mark paid a tribute to Woodend Beach foreman Regan Todd for the lead-up work in getting Master Lavros back on song at Group One level.
Master Lavros, looking for further opportunities at Addington in May.
Next week (May 9), Master Lavros will take in a $20,000 C0-5 trot at Addington on Nevele R Fillies Final night, then has a $20,000 free-for-all trot over 2600m on NZ Oaks night (May 15).
Mark all but won back-to-back Rowe Cups with last season’s Trotter of the Year but they couldn’t quite hold out Stent at Auckland on April 24.
They had to bow by a head to this season’s star trotter Stent in the 2015 edition after a thrilling home stretch duel.
Stent’s co-trainer and driver Colin De Filippi made Master Lavros work for the opening 800m before wresting the lead, then had the last shot.
With an inside run and all out to get past Master Lavros, Stent had just enough momentum to grab a hard fought victory.
However, Master Lavros, having his fourth start since resuming in late March and improving with each run, wouldn’t give in without a fight.
He even tried to come back at Stent on the line at the end of the 3200m in a race record 4:03.6 (2:02.4 mile rate).
The leaders kept the speed strong over their last 800m in 57.9s and final 400m in 28s.
This has been Stent’s season at the top for
trainers Colin and Julie De Filippi, and owner Trev Casey.
Its been a $600,000-plus winning 6YO term for Stent, the son of Dream Vacation and Belle Galleon.
He’s gone unbeaten in five Australian starts, including a clean sweep of the lucrative Great Southern Star, earning $343,060 this term across the Tasman.
Stent has won eight of 13 NZ starts at six.
Apart from a sixth in Jaccka Justy’s Dominion at Addington last November, he’s been dominant.
His other domestic wins have been in the G3 Ashburton Trotters Mile in 1:56, the G1 NZ Trotting Free-For-All, the G2 Rosslands Lyell Creek Stakes at Auckland, the G2 Group One Turf Bar Trotters Mile at Cambridge in 1:54.5, G3 Te Awamutu Trotters Flying Stakes at Cambridge and the G1 NZ Trotting Championship at Addington (over Master Lavros).