ROCKER BAND WINS SECOND NEVELE R FILLIES HEAT
Burnham trainer Mark Jones will head south with improving 3YO filly Rocker Band for the $18,000 Caduceus Club Of Southland Autumn Futurity at Invercargill on Saturday, March 21.
The Overport Lodge trainer took out the mobile 2200m Autumn Futurity two years ago with Saveapatrol when the race was worth $25,000.
Rocker Band (Ricky May) strides clear of Katy Perry and Change The Rulz in the $20,000 Nevele R Fillies Heat Addington. Stablemate Champagne Dreams also made the photo wide, but in sixth place.
Rocker Band, who notched her second consecutive Nevele R Fillies Heat win at the Timaru meeting at Addington on Thursday, March 12, is following a similar path to Savepatrol in the early stages of her career.
Saveapatrol took out the Autumn Futurity with his fourth win at his fifth lifetime start.
Rocker Band, the daughter of Rocknroll Hanover and 2005 New Zealand Cup winner Mainland Banner, racked up her third win from six starts this week.
She was again too good for last term’s Australasian Breeders Crown 2YO Fillies winner Katy Perry in a repeat of their Methven Nevele R clash at the Hororata meeting on February 22.
Rocker Band was keen in the open early with driver Ricky May sending her to the top past Katy Perry with a lap to run, but Katy Perry’s driver Dexter Dunn quickly left the markers to wind up in front again with 950m left.
The Mark Jones-trained Rocker Band settled better after her early burn and was travelling sweetly with the drop on the leader turning for home.
Rocker Band had the better finishing kick, dashing through on the sprint lane to win going away by 2 1/4 lengths.
She rated a swift 1:56.7 for the mobile 1950m, the leaders running their last 800m in 58.3s but they couldn’t quite maintain the same tempo over the last 400m in 30s.
Rocker Band, raced by Gold Coast owner Greg Brodie, will keep working towards the $140,000 Nevele R Fillies Final at Addington on May 9.
Stablemate Champagne Dreams, after settling back, was unable to make much impression in the run home, winding up sixth, just under 11 lengths from her stablemate.
Mark, who returned to Christchurch only a few hours before the Timaru meeting, scored a winning training double, earlier reining 2YO trotter Arannalea to a convincing win in the first, the $5529 Honda Cars Mobile Trot.
Arannalea (Mark) has the measure of Aldebaran Ay M early in the run home in the 2YO trot at the Timaru meeting at Addington.
He had been looking after northern-based Eyre I Come until Thursday.
“That makes it worthwhile,” he said after guiding Arannalea to victory.
Arannalea, a Pegasus Spur half-sister to former 2YO stable winner Beau Brummell, was notching her second win from three starts.
She is raced by Timaru accountant Graham Stoddart, “Beer” McCutheon, Kevin Schmack, P Darby, “Bub” Phillips and “Pup” Hulston.
The same group raced Beau Brummell, a former 2YO NZ record holder, before being sold to race in Australia.
Mark’s chances were enhanced when hot favourite Wilma’s Mate broke early.
He crossed to third with Arannalea and was nicely poised in behind leaders Aldebaran Ay M and Motu Great Sensation.
Arannalea moved up in the open at the 900m and wore down Aldebaran Ay M by half a length in 2:33.5 for the mobile 1950m, a mile rate of 2:06.6.
The leaders ran their last 800m in 60.3s and final 400m in 30.1s.
By Jeff Scott