WESTERN FLARE LEAVES FOR SYDNEY
Western Flare has been sold out of the Mark Jones stable and is to become a stablemate again of Lethal Rocket in the Pheasants Nest (NSW) stable of Darren Hancock.
The five-year-old McArdle gelding left Overport Lodge the winner of three of his last four starts when placed to win at Manawatu and in Canterbury amateur driver races.
He credited Trevor Ward with his first tote driving win at Rangiora on December 7, with the combination repeating at Addington in Western Flare’s NZ swan-song at Addington on December 20.
Racing over mobile sprint distances at Menangle should suit the good front-runner.
Western Flare won 10 of 41 start in New Zealand for $41,868. He won his first three for Woodend trainers David and Catherine Butt, then added another seven wins after joining the Mark Jones stable late last year.
“I think he’s been sold to the same connections as Lethal Rocket,” Mark said.
“He did a good job for the Met Five Syndicate but it was going to be hard to place him in Canterbury after winning his way through to a tough grade,” he said.