OK COURAGE 3RD IN ADDINGTON WORKOUT
OK Courage, unraced since being pulled up at Rangiora on May 9, is being aimed at a $35,000 3-win mobile 2600m pace at Addington on NZ Cup day after his sound third when resuming at the Addington workouts on Monday, October 18.
Now five, the Courage Under Fire gelding has the impressive overall record of nine wins and five placings from 21 starts for $81,246 in stakes.
OK Courage showed good stamina over the mobile 2600m at Addington in April last year, winning a junior drivers mobile 2600m pace in the hands of Dexter Dunn in a smart 3:11.3 (1:58.3 mile rate).
He trailed up in Monday’s 3 win and faster workout for Burnham trainer Mark Jones and finished solidly for third, just under a length from pacemaking Kotare Mach (Mark Purdon), who held Spero Denario (Dexter Dunn), handily placed on the outer, by three-quarters of a length.
Kotare Mach paced the 2600m (stand) in 3:23.9, quickening the tempo over his last 800m in 57.7s and final 400m in 27.5s.
Jellignite (3g Courage Under Fire-Badjelly The Wytch), spelled after beating Southwind Arden in a 2YO pace at Invercargill in May when with Bruce Negus at Waikouaiti, resumed for the Mark Jones stable with a half-length win in a non-win 2000m pace on Monday.
He paced the journey in 2:36.5, the leaders running their last 800m in 59.2s and final 400m in 28.1s.
Tough Tiz resumed for the Mark Jones stable in a learners pace on Monday, running a half-length second to Bowen Delight in 2:42 for the 2000m (stand), the last 800m in 60.4s and final 400m in 28.2s.
The Jones-trained 2YO pacers Waitati (Courage Under Fire-Stephanie colt) and Ohoka Vermont (McArdle-Millwood Petrouchka colt) are both likely go for spells. Mark said they were not advanced enough at this stage to match it with the Ken Barron-trained pair of Chancellor Cullen and Midnight Dylan, who are both headed north for the Young Gun Series in Auckland.
Chancellor Cullen (Christian Cullen-Nivea Franco colt), trailed Ohoka Vermont to the turn, and scored by a neck from Midnight Dylan, who settled fourth, in 2:34.5 for the mobile 1950m, the leaders running their last 400m in a sharp 27.2s.
By Jeff Scott