MASTER LAVROS BACK ON TOP AT ADDINGTON
Master Lavros promises a brighter seven-year-old season after turning the tables on Rowe Cup victor Stent at Addington on Saturday, May 9.
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones says its a shame there is only one race left for Master Lavros, last season’s Trotter of the Year, at Addington this Friday.
Master Lavros has a comfortable margin over Stent at the end of the Canterbury Copy Service Handicap Trot.
“He’s only just come right but we’ve run out of races,” Mark said.
“He’ll go out after next Friday but I’m really looking forward to next season now,” he said.
Master Lavros began well from the 10m line in the $17,600 Canterbury Copy Service Centre Trot on the Saturday meeting, with Mark keeping himself ahead of arch-rival Stent throughout.
They moved up parked beginning the final lap, striding up outside One Over Da Moon at the 1000m, with Stent trailing up three back on the outer.
Master Lavros had the leader’s measure turning for home and kept up a strong run to win by two lengths from Stent, with One Over Da Moon and Alley Way fighting out the minors.
The 6YO Sundon gelding trotted the 2600m (stand) in 3:16.9 (2:01.8 mile rate), the leaders running their last 800m in 58.1s and final 400m in 27.9s.
Mark Jones salutes after Master Lavros returns to scale at Addington.
Royal Aspirations holds the national mark from a stand over the trip at 3:14.8, but Master Lavros holds the mobile mark at 3:13.1.
Master Lavros, after having his summer racing derailed by a lack of form, has bounced back after connections began treating general wear and tear issues.
This was his first win since taking out last yewar’s Rowe Cup, but he’s only had 10 starts this term and preceeded the Addington win with two top second placings at Group One level behind Stent in the Fred Shaw Memorial NZ Trotting Championship on March 27, and in the Canam Rowe Cup at Auckland on April 24.
Despite grinding his way back to the top this term, Master Lavros has ticked his career earnings past the $400,000 mark for owner Kypros Kotzikas.
His lastest win was the 16th of his career, while he’s also picked up nine minor placings, from 41 career starts.
The Mark Jones stable notched a winning double on premier day with 2YO pacer Ice Crusher delivering second-up in the $11,700 PGG Wrightson NZ Yearling Sales 2YO OPen Consolation Pace.
“That’s been his aim all season,” Mark said of the Ice C Syndicate-owned pacer, who brought up his 350th career training win.
Mark Jones and owner Kypros Kotzikas enjoy a return to the winner’s enclosure at Addington.
“He’s likely to be sold now.”
Ice Crusher, a 2YO gelding by Christian Cullen from Helena Kilena (five wins, 1:57 m.r, 1950m), set a comfortable clip in the consolation, holding trailer Hickstead by three-quarters of a length in 2:27.4 (a 2:01.6 mile rate) for the mobile 1950m.
The winner showed a good turn of foot over his last 800m in 55.5s and his final 400m in 27.1s.
Ice Crusher also held Hickstead when they both qualified at Addington on February 2.
The winner is a brother to good south winner Shak’n Cullen (four wins, 1:58.9).
Their dam Helena Kilena is a sister to Fearleass Freda (p2, 1:59), winner of the 1998 PGG Wrightson Yearling Sales 2YO Fillies Pace.
Another sister in Hilarious Heather (three wins) is the dam of useful pacers Holy Hero (five NZ wins, 1:56.5) and Collecting (four wins, p3, 1:58.6), a NZ record 3YO fillies record holder over 2200m from a stand.
Helena Kilena is also a half-sister to Franco Himself (3 NZ wins, 18 USA wins, 1:55.4).
Helena Kilena’s grand-dam Golden Guest won nine and ran third against the boys behind the Alister Kerslake-trained stablemate Bachelor Star in the 1971 New Zealand Derby at Addington (another filly Van Glory ran second and Roydon Roux was fourth).
The Ice C Syndicate join trainer-driver Mark Jones after Ice Crusher’s win in the PGG Wrighston NZ Yearling Sales 2YO Open Consolation Pace.
Golden Guest was a Garrison Hanover sister to a top Jack Smolenski-trained 1970s pacer in Speedy Guest (19 wins including a Great Northern Derby and a NZ Messenger.
True Guest (Light Brigade-Loyal Guest), the dam of Speedy Guest and Golden Guest, was a half-sister to Adio star, the 1978 NZ Broodmare Of the Year, who left three NZ Derby winners, the above-mentioned Bachelor Star (1971), Main Adios (1975) and Game Adios (1979).
True Guest also became the dam of former top filly/mare Hilarious Guest, who added to the family’s New Zealand Derby-winning history in 1982 in the hands of Mark’s father Peter Jones, for trainer Maurice Vermeulen, holding Peter’s father Derek with Portfolio, Mel’s Boy and Enterprise.
Hilarious Guest, who died in 2008 after leaving 14 foals, won 21 races & $283,230, also beating the boys in a NZ Sapling Stakes at two, and in the NZ Messenger 4YO Championship.
By Jeff Scott