SMOKE N SANTANNA SHOULD DEVELOP AT THREE
Overport Lodge trainer Mark Jones will give last week’s maiden winner Smoke N Santanna his chance in next week’s 2YO Garrards Sires Stakes Silver before tipping him out till next term.
“Hopefully he’ll be in the Consolation and then the paddock,” Mark said.
Smoke N Santanna shown winning at the Addington trials, was untroubled to justify his hot favouritism in an Addington maiden on May 2.
“He’s a very nice horse but its scary how good the two-year-olds are this season.
“He’ll be better at three,” he said.
Smoke N Santanna, a son of the smart racemare Smoke N Mirrors (10 wins for $189,675 in stakes), justified his $1.90 favourtism against the older maidens in the Avon City Ford Mobile Pace at Addington on Friday May 2.
He appreciated a significant class drop back after finishing unplaced in three two-year-old starts in April.
Driver Jonny Cox didn’t rush the Santanna Blue Chip colt early from the three gate for his maiden victory, being left parked.
Cox’s inquiry for the front at the 1200m was denied by Gavin Smith (San Diego) but Cox knew Smoke N Santanna was travelling like the winner down the back, letting him surge to the front at the 600m.
The favourite raced several lengths clear on the home turn and was allowed the luxury of easing down over the final 100m, winning untested by 3 1/4 lengths.
Smoke N Santanna rated 2:00.4 for the mobile 1950m, the leaders running their last 800m in 61.3s and final 400m in 30.7s.
He showed his promise qualifying in early December at Addington in a 2:02.5 rate (1950m).
Smoke N Santanna is raced by his breeders, Peter and Debbie Smith, and Peter’s mother, Patricia, who also race Smoke N Santanna’s year older half-brother Smoke N Grin, the winner of one from three from the Dunedin stable of Jonny Cox and Amber Hoffman.
Tuxedo Max, continues to make solid progress. Last Friday’s Addington win as his second, while he has also placed twice in seven starts.
The Mark Jones stable notched a winning Addington double, advancing to 60 wins for the term when Tuxedo Max also scored a clear-cut win in the C1-2 Blue Star Taxis Handicap Pace.
Tuxedo Max, a 3YO colt by former top pacer Elsu from Paris Hilton (by Village Jasper), appreciated the strong tempo over the 2000m stand.
He settled sixth for catch driver Jimmy Curtin, slotting into the running line, then hooked wide at the 400m to reel in Jericho, who had dashed clear the 500m.
Tuxedo Max sailed past the pacemaker at the 200m and was unchallenged in the run to the wire, scoring by 3 1/4 lengths in 2:30.4 (2:00.9 mile rate), the leaders last 800m in 58.9s and final 400m in 30.2s.
His time was just 0.9 of a second outside the NZ 3YO colts and geldings mark, set by Classie Mach in 2012.
“He’s doing a nice job. I can’t believe no-one has bought him!,” Mark said.
This was his second win from seven starts. He gets a chance to further his solid record in the C1 mobile pace at Timaru this Sunday.