OK COURAGE LEAVES FOR SYDNEY
OK Courage, who wound up his NZ career at Forbury on April 5, was one of seven either sold, or to be exported, from the Mark Jones stable in either March or early April.
“OK Courage is off to join Ashlee Seijka in Sydney after Forbury,” Mark said.
OK Courage has been well placed in NZ, starting 40 times for 12 wins (six penalty-free), 11 placings and $104,389, for Queensland owner Greg Brodie.
He should have better opportunities in New South Wales.
Buzz Courage (3g Courage Under Fire-Honey Franco), another Brodie-owned pacer, who won a maiden second-up at Addington February 16, won exported to Australia a few weeks ago.
Also Australia-bound is 1:57.2 miler Ardlussa Express (5g Falcon Seelster-Silk Worm), who won four and was eight times placed in NZ, for $23,922 in stakes.
He joined the Jones stable after winning his maiden in Southland and made solid progress in Canterbury for Victorian owners, Merv and Meg Butterworth.
Saskia Finn (3f Artsplace-Maggie Finn), raced by rugby stars Zac Guildford, Brent Ward, along with Mike and Helen Finlayson, Nathan Brown and the Riverside Boxing Club Syndicate, has been sold to do her future racing in South Australia.
She raced nine times in NZ for two wins and two thirds, and registered a 1:59.7 winning mile rate over 1950m when scoring at Addington in January, and has become a stablemate of Union Buster in Adelaide.
IDEAL ARDEN SOLD TO HUTTON STABLE
Ideal Arden, who made his race debut with a good first-up fourth in a Garrard’s Sires Stakes Heat at Addington on April 7 for Greendale trainer Bruce Hutton, was purchased out of the Mark Jones stable only seven days earlier from breeder, Noreen Stiven.
The American Ideal colt qualified in the black and white colours when fourth at Ashburton on March 13.
Ideal Arden paced the 1609m in 2:00.6 when fourth in a 2YO pace won by Donegal Chokin.
He was trialled by Hutton when he led and was overshadowed on the line by Kotare Mahal in a 2YO mobile pace over 2000m, going 2:30.5 (2:00.9 mile rate), the leaders last 800m in 57.9s, at Rangiora on March 21.
Ideal Arden then led and won a Motukarara workout last Saturday in 2:50.8 for the mobile 2200m, holding Queen’s Advocate by a nose, the last 800m in 58.7s.
Glenferrie Hood (2g Christian Cullen-Niftey Franco), who qualified for the Jones stable at Ashburton on March 13, clocking 2:01.5 for the 1609m, has been sold to join Victorian trainer Gary Donaldson.
Leila May Finn (2f Grinfromeartoear-Silver Calais), another qualifier for the stable on March 13, going 2:02.7 for the 1609m, is to join Brent Borcoskie’s Sefton team.
She has been sold by Finash Bloodstock and is in the process of being syndicated to a group which includes Crusaders players, Zac Guildford, Andy Ellis, Wyatt Crockett and Tom Marshall, along with Stu Bailey and a few friends of the group.
Meanwhile, the stable’s big juvenile trotter Glenferrie Miner won’t be seen again until next season, but will remain in the Overport Lodge team.
The Sundon half-brother to You Rock has been given time and turned out for six months after trialling at Ashburton on March 13.
The stable has won 38 races and $283,163 for the season, with most of the leading stables having over 100 extra starters for the term.
SCOTT DELIVERS WITH ‘JELLY’
Junior driver Scott Stewart gained his first win for employer Mark Jones when he guided Jellignite to win the Cecil Hanna Memorial Mobile Pace at Rangiora on Sunday, April 1.
Scott, who gained his first win at Tauherenikau with Helicon on January 2, gained his third career win at Rangiora.
He pulled everything out of the bag to get $1.80 win favourite Jellignite home by the barest of margins over third favourite Te Rauparaha (Aimee Edmonds).
Mark said Scott probably improved his position at the right time and had confidence in him getting the win.
Scott stayed out of the early rush, going back to second-to-last early as the leaders went hard, then sent Jellignite forward with 1000m to run to range up outside Red Ransom at the 700m.
Jellignite led for much of the run home but Scott had to call on all his reserves to hold out a spirited inside run from Te Rauparaha inside the final 50m.
Scott was filling in for regular driver, fellow Overport junior Regan Todd, who had commitments at Invercargill on the same day.
Jellignite, who paced the mobile 2000m in a swift 2:26.5 (1:57.8 mile rate), the leaders feeling the pinch over their last 800m in 59s and closing 400m in 30s, is now likely to race in the 4 & 5YO Championship at Forbury on Thursday.
The 4YO Courage Under Fire gelding furthered his good record for owner Miss Pat Campbell. He has now raced 29 times for eight wins and 10 placings for $48,940 in stakes.
“He gets round the smaller track good. He can go down for it with Ohoka Texas,” Mark said.
Mark Jones put the unplaced run of Ohoka Texas at Addington on Friday night down to not having a chance to get up outside the leaders in a fast-run race.
“He just couldn’t get round them going a 1:55.1 mile rate for the 1950m,” said Mark.
Mark won the Forbury age group race when it was a restricted 4YO Championship two years ago with the now retired good mare Crystal Star.