OHOKA TEXAS NEW ADDITION
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones considers himself lucky to have been entrusted with last season’s smart 3YO pacer Ohoka Texas.
Mark says the Christian Cullen-Millwood Touche entire is set to resume at the workouts on October 1.
Ohoka Texas, winner of the Group Two $40k Alabar Southern Supremacy Stakes Final at Invercargill in April in a 2:03 mile rate over 2700m (last 800m in 55.9s), may return south for a suitable 2-3 win junior drivers race over 1609m at Winton on October 16 in search of another penalty-free win.
He won six from 13 starts for $65,197 in stakes last term when prepared at Woodend by David and Catherine Butt, and with handicapping concession wins, returns for his 4YO racing on a 3-win assessment.
Raced by Katie, Adam and Olivia Carville, Ohoka Texas should progress well past his current 3-win rating.
Although unplaced in both last season’s Northern and NZ Derbys, he was a close-up fourth to Aussie flyer Sushi Sushi in a Woodlands Stud Northern Derby heat in March, and fifth behind dead-heaters Gold Ace and Terror To Love in the Group Two Vero Flying Stakes at Addington in May.