SAMANTHA OTTLEY REWARDED WITH SOUTH WINS
Successful reinswoman Samantha Ottley was rewarded for her personal attention with smart racemare Rocker Band by driving her to a track record 1:53.3 at Winton on Saturday, December 19.
“Sam’s been doing all the work with her so it was good to get her back driving a nice one again,” said trainer Mark Jones.
Sam joined Mark’s Overport Lodge team a week before being sidelined with a luckless nasty race spill at Methven in mid-October.
Rocker Band, decorated with a garland of flowers, after taking out the Aon Insurance Equine Stakes at Winton in a track record 1:53.3 (1609m). Photo: Bruce Stewart, Southland Harness Racing.
However, she is back doing what she does best again with stable wins behind Forty Thieves at Forbury on Wednesday, December 16, and with Rocker Band at Winton.
Sam, the first female junior reinswoman to drive 100 winners in NZ and a former junior premiership winner, couldn’t have rated Rocker Band any better in the $14,913 Aon Insurance Equine Stakes at Winton.
She let her roll from seven gate and had too much gate speed for the inside runners.
Only Lightning Mach (drawn outside her) was charged up and had designs on the front, with Sam sitting inch-perfect trailing up with Rocker Band through the opening half in 57.8s.
With fellow Cantab visitor Lovetodream (Nigel McGrath) moving up parked to keep the pace strong, Sam was sweet waiting for a home straight run and Rocker Band won as she liked.
Sam said she was surprised when she learned of the fast time. She said it didn’t seem as though they were going that quick.
Rocker Band’s 1:53.3 mile lowered the previous best of 1:53.7 by the Robert Dunn-trained Cullens Mercy in 2013.
Rocker Band had last term been race-timed to run 1:52.6 when she finished eighth to The Orange Agent in the Ashburton Harness Jewels 3YO Diamond on May 30.
The 4YO daughter of Rocknroll Hanover and 2005 New Zealand Cup-winning mare Mainland Banner (1:55.1, 17 wins & $684,580), has now won five of 15 starts for Gold Coast owner Greg Brodie, for $51,190.
She has always promised she would improve with age and could be in for a big 4YO season.
Mainland Banner (Christian Cullen-Corporate Banner), the dam of four in 1:58 or better from her first four to race, was also represented by final race Winton winner Return To Sender, who led from the nine gate to win a C2 pace in 2:56.4 (1:58.3 mile rate) for Dexter Dunn.
Return To Sender, now the winner of eight from 49 starts for $100,561, had paced a faster 2:55.1 over 2400m (1:57.4 rate) when winning at Wyndham as a three-year-old.
Mainland Banner, exported to Australia two years ago by owner Peter Chambers of Glenferrie Farm Ltd, is also the dam of 1:52.4 USA winner Peruvian Banner (one NZ win, nine USA wins for $NZ95898), and Stunin Banner (1:56.2), winner of 13 (11 in NZ, two in Australia) for $105,845.
Rocker Band was the second win for trainer Mark Jones in the Winton Equine Stakes.
He also won with former useful mare Telemecanique in 2009, when she defeated top south mare Beaudiene Bad Babe in 1:57.6.
Telemancanique (Falcon Seelster-Seldom Home) later won in 1:52.2 in North America and retied with 15 career wins (11 in NZ, four in USA), for $185,615 in stakes.
Samantha Ottley, after winning at Winton with Rocker Band. Photo: Bruce Stewart, Southland Harness Racing.
She is now the dam of a yearling Christian Cullen filly and foaled a filly again this year to champion sire Bettor’s Delight.
Forty Thieves, who opened his winning account at Forbury for trainer Mark Jones and driver Sam Ottley, was winning second-up for Perth owner Gary Elson.
Gary, who formerly owned big Australian winner and 2012 Interdominion Heat winner Crombie (now a 1:50.2 USA performer), also owned 2013 Group One WA Golden Slipper Pace Class Of Tara, after formerly racing him from the Yaldhurst stables of Robert Cameron.
Sam eased Forty Thieves from the two gate for a good out and three back sit in the Gerry’s Boy and The Presidents Mobile Pace at Forbury.
She had the favourite out and running three wide when back runners impoved wide at the 600m and stormed to the front turning for home. They held strongly by 1 3/4 lengths over the leaders last 800m in 59.4s and final 400m in 29s.
Mark says Forty Thieves, a 3YO Christian Cullen-Harem Franco gelding, is still 12 month away from maturing.
Even so, Forty Thieves still rated a promising 1:59.5 for the mobile 2200m.
He becomes the third sub 2:00 winner for his dam Harem Franco (TT, 1:57.2), also the dam of useful winners Franco Harrison (1:58.1, three wins) and Franco Harrington (1:58.3, five wins).
Harem Franco, a raceplaced daughter of Artiscape, is from Huntress Hanover (p3, 1:58.2h, USA), a half-sister to former big-winning USA winners and later NZ sires, Holmes Hanover (1:54.4) and Michael Jonathon.
Huntress Hanover, a daughter of the former fastest 2YO filly of all time in Hazel Hanover (p2, 1:56.4, 22 wins & former USA 2YO Filly of the Year), has made her mark in NZ as the dam of Hunter Franco (1:58.7, three wins), the dam of Regulus (1:51.8h, US, 12 wins & over $200,000), Franco Hemmingway (1:56.9, seven wins & $A126,284) and Franco Hendrix (1:59.1, 10 wins & $A114,588).
The win of Forty Thieves is good timing for Equine Investments Ltd, who are offering Forty Wives, a half-brother by champion sire Bettor’s Delight to Forty Thieves, Franco Harrison and Franco Harrington, at the NZ Premier Yearling Sale on February 23.
By Jeff Scott