MASTER LAVROS TO RACE ON OCTOBER 3
NZ Trotter of the Year Master Lavros is set to return to the trials within two weeks for Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones.
Mark has a return to racing earmarked for the big Sundon gelding in a $12,000 C4-0C trot over 2600m at Addington on October 3.
Master Lavros shown winning the Group One $80,000 Fred Shaw Memorial NZ Trotting Championship at Addington in April.
“He’s had a great long slow build-up,” Mark said.
Master Lavros will be a leading hope to repeat last year’s dominant Group One Dominion Handicap success at the New Zealand Cup meeting.
Now six, the Kypros Kotzikas-owned trotting star is still lightly-raced, despite kicking off his career with three starts at two.
He’s faced the starter only 31 times for 15 wins and five placings, banking $351,468.
Last season, he won seven of 15 starts, securing his place in NZ trot history as the winner of three NZ Group One trot races in the same season.
He was spelled after taking out the G1 Canam Rowe Cup at Auckland on May 9.
Master Lavros also won the G1 $80,000 Fred Shaw Memorial NZ Trotting Championship at Addington in April in a NZ record for the mobile 2600m of 3:13.1 (1:59.4 rate).
For good measure, he also won two Group Three trots at Addington last term, the $25,000 Seelite Windows & Doors Summer Trotting Free-For-All (mobile 1950m) and $25,000 Dr Cliff Irvine Memorial Canterbury Park Trotting Cup (2600m).
Unfortunately, his only start in Australia resulted in gallop in the Glenferrie Challenge at Menangle on March 2, but will be given the chance to show his best across the Tasman this season.
WATCH THE DREAM NSW-BOUND
Meanwhile, the sale of well-bred pacing filly Watch The Dream (3f Bettor’s Delight-Dreamy Atom), a first-up winner for the Mark Jones stable at Forbury on August 28, has been finalised.
Watch The Dream, race-timed in 1:57.5 (1609m) when a sound fifth at Winton last Sunday, is likely to join the New South Wales stable of Shane Tritton.