WESTERN FLARE WINS DOUBLE
Back-to-back wins by Western Flare at Addington and Oamaru last week is timely news for Utopia Farm, Westport, who are offering a full brother to him on the second day of the NZ Premier Yearling Sale on Tuesday, February 22.
Western Flare fought gamely in front over the last 1300m for Regan Todd to hold Fernleigh Renegade by half a neck in the mobile 2000m 2-3 wins junior drivers pace on the grass at Oamaru.
The 4YO McArdle gelding was well placed by Burnham trainer Mark Jones for his winning double, having a few days earlier cleared out to win a mobile 1950m pace at the Addington Tuesday meeting by five and a quarter lengths.
Western Flare’s victory in the David Ovens Building contractor Mobile Pace for junior drivers at Oamaru was penalty-free, leaving him on a 3-win assessment despite taking his career record to five wins and five placings from 24 starts for $23,691.
His New York Motoring dam Unreal Untopia won three races at three, while Western Flare has emulated the numerical number of wins of his well-peformed Nero’s B B grand-dam Gypsy Winkle, who also won five including the Group One 1990 New Zealand Oaks at Addington, and Group Three Southland Oaks at Wyndham.
Gypsy Winkle is a half-sister to well-performed Star Of Utopia, who like Gypsy Winkle, was a smart performer for former Westport trainer, the late Colin Cleine, winning eight in NZ and $127,595, including a Rising Stars 3YO Championship and a Group Three NZ Metropolitan 3YO Championship.
This is the family of the former top Australian pacer Rip Van Winkle, who numbered 50 career wins including the Queensland and NSW Pacers Derbys, and an Australian Pacing Championship.
Western Flare won his first three for Woodend trainers David And Catherine Butt.
“He won first-up as a 2YO going 2:30.6 (2000m) at Timaru, running his last 800m in 56.6s and looked like he was going to be real good, but he’d disappointed a few times,” Mark said.
On his work at home, Mark felt Western Flare was best suited in front and finding the front was the key to his Addington-Oamaru double.
Western Flare rated 1:58.6 for the full 1950m in the Bettor’s Delight At Woodlands Stud Mobile Pace, for 1-3 win pacers, plus claimers, quickening over his last 800m in 56.8s.
He ran the mobile 2000m on the grass on Sunday in 2:33 (2:03.1 mile rate), the last 800m in 60s.
Mark advanced to 24 training wins for the season with the Western Flare-winning double.
“I’m down to about 20 horses at the moment, but things will pick up when I get them into the new property,” he said.
By Jeff Scott