MASTER LAVROS SHOWS PROMISE
Burnham trainer Mark Jones may consider a start for Master Lavros in the $6000 Seelite Windows and Doors Trotters Silver at Addington on May 17 after a useful solo qualifying effort at Addington on Wednesday, May 4.
He will also need to be nominated for the $60,000 Sires’ Stakes Championship at Addington on May 14 but is unlikely to get a start in the main event.
Master Lavros, a big gelded son of Sundon, bred and owned by Lavros Lodge principals, Kypros and Mary Kotzikas, impressed catch-driver Blair Orange with the qualifying effort on an easy track.
“It was a good effort to run that (2:35.9, mobile 2000m) on his own,” Blair said.
His time compared favourably with the NZ record run by his stablemate Beau Brummell at Timaru last Sunday of 2:34.4 on a fast track under race conditions.
Master Lavros, from the imported Sierra Kosmos mare Lavra Noblesse, is a half-brother to Kosmopolitan Lavra, who won four from only 15 starts.
He had also impressed easily winning his first trial outing by 2 1/2 lengths at Ashburton on April 25 when 1.4 seconds outside the required time, also on an easy track.
Quickly, The Lutts and Birds Can Sing, were pacing qualifiers for the Mark Jones stable on Wednesday.
Quickly (3c Bettor’s Delight-Rapidash), settled back on the outer for driver Scott Stewart and finished smartly wide to win going away by 2 1/4 lengths in 2:36.6 for the stand start 2000m, the leaders running their last 800m in 61.1s and final 400m in 30.7s.
His third dam is the former smart mare Jovial Jeanie (nine wins), the former daughter of Most Happy Fella and 1963 NZ Derby winner Bellajily.
The Lutts (2g Western Terror-Girlsjustwanahavefun) returned 2:35 (mobile 2000m) when fighting on for a distant third behind runaway winner Pembrook Caesar (3f Julius Caesar-Northern Franco), the year-older half-sister to Holme Fire, who scored by nine lengths for trainer Nigel McGrath, clocking 2:32.8.
Birds Can Sing (3f Rocknroll Hanover-Mercy Mercy Mercy, USA), trailed, moved up parked from the 600m for Scott Stewart and fought best for a head win over Mach’s Party in their mobile 2000m qualifying pace.
The Peter Chambers-owned Birds Can Sing paced the mobile 2000m in 2:36, just slipping under the qualifying time by 0.2 of a second. The leaders quickened over their last 800m in 60.7s and final 400m in 28.8s.
Birds Can Sing, purchased by Mr Chambers from North America for her broodmare potential, is from a Jate Lobell mare.