NEWCOMER TO MARK JONES STABLE DELIVERS
Trials driver Scott Stewart gained his first workout or trial win when he led throughout with Atom Of Courage at the Motukarara workouts on Saturday, November 20.
Scott, who worked for Mark Purdon and Grant Payne for a little over a year and a half, only transferred to the Mark Jones stable last week.
Raised in Wairarapa, Scott gained the harness racing bug from his parents, Wayne and Connie, who co-own useful pacing mare Cullini (seven wins). Scott had a drive behind the Greg and Nina Hope-trained mare at the Rangiora trials last month, finishing fourth.
“Both mum and dad are from down here but I’d always lived up north. The only reason I came down was for Uni, but then I had a gutsful of it and decided to look for work in a stable,” he said.
“There’s no harness racing in Wairarapa anyway so I stayed here.”
Atom Of Courage, the winner of four but still a 2-win horse for handicapping purposes, may resume at eithr Orari next Saturday, or Motukarara on Sunday.
“I’d like to keep him to stand starts for a while if I can,” said trainer Mark Jones.
“If he can learn to relax he’ll be a lot better. Stand starts will help him because he can pull off the gate.
“He’ll step good from a stand when they go but he might play up at the start.”
Atom Of Courage, freshened since last racing two months ago, handled the stand start and his first grass track workout well on Saturday.
Stewart had him cruising in front in the run home to win by three lengths from Datmymulligan, who moved up parked from the 800m and rallied well.
Atom Of Courage paced the 2200m (stand0 in 3:04.1, quickening over his last 800m in 58.9s.
Babes Boy Bob, a newcomer to the Jones team, also earmarked for Orari, trailed on the outer over the final 800m and ran on fairly wide out for third, ahead of Sister Bertrand.
“He didn’t show that much speed,” Mark said of Babes Boy Boy.
“But he hasn’t done that much since he arrived. He will improve,” he said.
Lethal Rocket, who may resume in the 4-win and faster Waimate Cup on December 5, also won his heat on Saturday.
He came from last of the seven to win by a head in a mobile 2200m pace on the all-weather track, the leaders running their last 800m in 58.7s.
Heather Castleton, a newcomer to the Mark Jones stable, is to race at Forbury Park next Thursday after winning her 2600m maiden trot from a stand on the all-weather by a nose in a solid 3:33.3.
The 3YO Sundon filly from Anna Castleton was a two-year-old non-tote winner last term when trained in Dunedin by Allan Clark.
She is raced by Lex and Heather Williams, who also co-own top Sundon mare One Over Kenny.
By Jeff Scott