OASIS DREAM DELIVERS FROM OUTSIDE GATE AT AUCKLAND
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones kept the wins coming with his South Auckland-based team when Oasis Dream scored at Alexandra Park on Friday, June 20.
Now with 55 wins for the season, the growing north team will be boosted with the arrivals of Saveapatrol and Zakspatrol for racing at Alexandra Park next Friday.
Melbourne owners, Meg and Merv Butterworth, who race Auckland winner, Oasis Dream.
Oasis Dream had to overcome the outside front row draw in C1-3 Trucks & Tyres Race Night Fri 17 July Mobile Pace at the Franklin Trotting Club’s racenight.
With three scratchings inside him reducing the front row to five, top young northern reinsman Zac Butcher drove the Major In Art gelding postively.
They were in front after the opening 200m and Zac made the most of the free-running style of the half-brother to Le Sol (1:54.3) to hold fellow Cantab, Culinary Delight, by a length.
Oasis Dream paced the mobile 2200m in 2:44.1 (2:00 mile rate), quickening over his last 800m in 57.5s and final 400m in 28.2s.
This was the third win in 18 starts for Oasis Dream, who was secured by the Butterworth Racing Syndicate as a raceplaced maiden out of the Grant Payne stable last August.
He was having his second start back from a six month layoff.
Mark had mixed fortunes with his other starters on Friday night, but Real Torque again raced strongly.
First-up in the C1 grade at her second start, she finished a sound third after being given a good run on the outer by Kim Butt in the C1-2 Powell Transport Mobile Pace.
She was just over a length behind Bettors Pocket (sprint lane), who outfinished front-running favourite Bettormack in a 1:59.9 rate (2200m).
Smart filly Rocker Band was the beaten favourite in the C2-4 pace, locking wheels early in the run home when trying to improve from the rear, while Landora’s Girl again blew the start in the maiden trot.
Landora’s Girl was declared unruly for future stand starts at Mark’s request after missing away for the third consecutive week on her north sojourn at Alexandra Park.