SMART FILLIES ON MOVE
By Stu Bailey
Smart 2yo fillies Glenferrie Magic and Holme Fire head to different ends of the country this week.
Glenferrie Magic will start at Forbury Park on Thursday night against five others in the non-tote $14,000 Magness Benrow Sires Stakes Heat, while ever-improving Courage Under Fire filly Holme Fire left her Burnham base on Monday for Gareth Dixon’s Clevedon barn to settle in for next month’s $170,000 Magness Benrow Sires Stakes Final on May 6 at Alexandra Park.
Both had a good hit-out at last Saturday’s Rangiora workouts, with Glenferrie Magic clocked home in 57.9 to finish fourth on a very wet track behind star trotter Makarewa Sun, who led the final lap and set a slick pace, cutting out the 2000m mobile in 2:31.1.
‘Magic’ came from second-to-last at the 450m and ran on attractively though it was hard work for all horses on the bog track over the final 150m.
Holme Fire sat back and dashed through with inside runs for Scott Stewart to take her 2000m mobile heat in 2:31.4, home in 58.5, though she bettered 58sec herself.
“She isn’t Sales Series eligible which is a bit of a shame,” said Mark.
“But it’s good to get her up there early to Gareth’s and get her ready for the Sires Stakes Final.”
Mark will send OK Courage, Western Flare, Alex and Heather Castleton to Forbury with Glenferrie Magic.
Two-year-old trotters Master Lavros (2g Sundon – Lavra Noblesse), and Chardonnay Jude (2f Monarchy – Winfield Invasion) were impressive trialists in an unqualified trot on Saturday, both mistake-free first time off the place and Mark has high hopes for both.
Beat The Feet, a Julius Caesar 2yo filly and half-sister to prominent recent winner Datmymulligan, dashed along the passing lane to score a good win in an unqualified pace for Mark and lessee Richard Lee earlier in the day.