ROCKER BAND HAS TO SETTLE FOR THIRD IN $40,000 MARES RACE
Rocker Band was so well she over-raced and cost herself a win in the $40,000 Garrards Horse & Hound Premier Mares Championship at Addington on Friday, February 12.
However, the Mark Jones-trained favourite was far from disgraced with her third in a swift run after getting up on the nickel at despatch point.
Rocker Band makes run run three wide at the 1000m outside Lightning Mach, Democrat Party (parked) and eventual winner Tangos Delight (trail) at Addington on Friday, February 12.
Driver Samantha Ottley eased Rocker Band from her wide gate but had to let her get on the three wide train beginning the last lap.
Rocker Band crossed to the markers ahead of Lightning Mach at the 600m and was given every chance but was swamped by outsider Tangos Delight (two-three back inner) and Democrat Party (handy outside the pace over the last 1000m).
Tangos Delight, who continues to punch above her weight for Ohoka trainer-driver Gavin Smith, was tenacious saved until the closing stages, winning going away by three-quarters of a length in 2:20 for the 1950m, a 1:55.5 mile rate.
She was only 0.3 of a second outside Pemberton Shard’s NZ mares record for the distance.
Tangos Delight (6m Bettor’s Delight-Tuapeka Tango) was recording her sixth win from 38 starts, taking her earnings to $73,236.
Luisanabelle Midfrew and Matthew Williamson run clear near the finish of the $146,250 PGG Wrightson NZ Yearling Sales 3YO Fillies Pace at Addington.
The Mark Jones stable also settled for a minor slice of the prize in the $146,250 PGG Wrightson NZ Yearling Sales 3YO Fillies Final.
Real Torque, from the ace, was also given every chance by Sam Ottley, trailing subsequent winner Luisanabelle Midfrew, who handed to Northern visitor Killer Queen a lap out.
Luisanabelle Midfrew (American Ideal-Lulabelle Midfrew), trained at West Melton by Nigel McGrath, was too good with a sprint lane finish in the hands of Matthew Williamson.
She ran clear by two lengths over strong wide finishers, Amazon Lily and Artful, the latter cutting Real Torque out of third money by a head.
Luisanabelle Midfrew, a daughter of five-win Christian Cullen mare Lulabelle Midfrew, was recording her second win from 10 starts, taking her earnings to $126,645.
Real Torque’s stablemate Northern Velocity was unable to feature after settling back from a second row alley.
She was forced wide when trying to improve at the 600m and couldn’t close on the leaders, who rated 1:57.2 for the 1950m on the front-end.
Overport Lodge trot stablemates, Eyre I Come (two-three back outer) and Sunoflindenny (who led early, then trailed Pyramid Monarch from the 1850m) tried hard but had to settle for minor placings behind favourite Bordeaux in the $20,000 C3 & faster Master Cleaning Handicap Trot.
The Philip Iggo-trained Bordeaux (5g Love You-Sapient) moved up wide a lap out to be parked from the 900m and kept going strongly to win by 2 3/4 lengths in 3:18.3 for the stand start 2600m.
This was Bordeaux’s fifth win on end and his sixth from 10 race starts.
By Jeff Scott