| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 2008
 |
The six owners of Special Ops have a very simple way of making decisions when it comes to the mare. They vote, and the majority rules.
Recently the Haymakers Syndicate had the opportunity to send Special Ops to America with Ray Sharpe, and because it was the most important conundrum that the close group of friends had ever been faced with, everyone had to be in favour or she'd be staying home. As it turned out the final count was 4-2 for her to go, hence she didn't, so a couple of them might be feeling smug about the Armbro Operative mare's stylish victory in the $35,000 Konami Canterbury Regional Country Cups Championship at Addington on Saturday night.
In the back of everyone's mind was Special Ops's form, which trainer Ross Rennie says was totally opposite to what it appeared like on paper. "She's just been having so much bad luck," Rennie said. "And that's basically why they pulled the plug - because she's been racing so well." If anything Special Ops was slightly over the odds when returning $5.20 on Saturday, because a fortnight earlier she had sat outside Bondy for the last lap and been beaten a nose by the Cup class pacer; you don't do that without having immense ability.
The misfortune Rennie refers to stems right back to the Methven Cup won by Baileys Dream in October, which Special Ops was scratched from at the last minute. "I had her going as good as this back then," Rennie claims. "But then she got a foot abscess two days out from the race, it was like a big bulge around her off-front hoof. She'd had them before, but usually they come right a couple of days later; this time it took ages." At that stage Special Ops was nominated for the NZ Cup, but she missed all of Cup Week and the mares' race on the last night and didn't resume until the Methven Green Mile in December. Even then bad luck stayed with her, as a clod of dirt hit her in the face and she galloped out of contention.
Special Ops's form since has been consistent without much luck in the running, so the fact that things are finally going her way again has been welcomed by Rennie and the syndicate. "I suppose we could have a look at the Easter Cup, I just don't know yet. She's the sort of horse that loves the 3200 though - I wish there was a race over three miles because I know she'd be right there. We'll target the Rangiora Classic at the end of April, and then tip her out for a spell. She'll definitely be going to stud this year."
Rennie says Special Ops is a hard horse to get along with, a trait she inherited from her late mother Middle Legacy, and for that reason he wanted to make a special mention of his right-hand-man John Kemp. "John's been with me for six or seven years, and drives Special Ops in all her trackwork," he said. "He was at the beach with her this week, then again on Thursday when she had a hit-out at Rangiora, and he gave me the big 'thumbs up' for her race tonight. He's a big part of her success," Rennie said.
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 27Mar08
YEAR: 2008
 |
Springbank Richard booked his ticket for the Harness Jewels in Cambridge with a brilliant win at Addington last Saturday night.
It was the second start and second win for the son of Sundon in his 4-year-old season, which, for him, only got going earlier this month. That meant he was in 'catch up' mode for a place on the Jewels leaderboard, but his winning cheque of $27,315 from Saturday's First Sovereign Trust 4YO Trotters Championship has now put him well into the 'safe' zone. And what a victory it was, because Springbank Richard was used twice to get to the parked position and yet he made a star-studded field look second-rate when he forged away on the turn and won comfortably.
"He's so easy to drive," says Nathan Williamson. "It's almost a case of don't be unlucky, and that's it. He was fair bolting on the turn tonight, and I could've put a couple of lengths on them; he tends to wait for the opposition a bit. He's definitely the best horse I've driven."
Prior to his winning resumption at Invercargill three weeks ago, Springbank Richard was last seen romping away with the Victoria Derby way back in July. His late start to 2007/08 is all part of the master plan, one where trainer Phil Williamson is looking much further down the track. "We wanted to give him as light a season as possible, because he's a lean, mean machine," Williamson said. "And as he gets stronger, we hope he'll keep getting better. We've just got to man-manage him from here. I mean, you could get carried away and start in a race like the Rowe Cup - but why would you do that and risk undoing him, whereas if you wait then you can start him in it five years in a row."
As firmly as his feet are on the ground, Williamson can't help but be excited about the horse that's now won his last six outings - and eight from nine since joining the stable. "Horses like this are born, they're not made," he said. "And he could be something special for sure."
Williamson said Springbank Richard will have an easy time before the Jewels now, with at least one more run somewhere on the cards, and then the star 4-year-old could even go north early for a race at Cambridge or Alexandra Park - "for a look around the place. I think the Jewels is going to be very much about the draws," he warned.
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 27Mar08
YEAR: 2008
 |
Ian Dobson and the Met people may as well drop the NZ Derby trophy off to Mark Purdon now. It's near enough to as good as won by Auckland Reactor, and the believers are now well and truly in the majority.
But first, there are formalities to attend to, and that means Auckland Reactor must perform as he did in winning the First Sovereign Trust Flying Stakes at Addington in devastating style last Friday night. His cruel disposal of seven other good 3-year-olds made it crystal-clear that none of then are in his class, or even close to it. He beat Justa Tiger by seven lengths and his stablemate Fiery Falcon by a fraction more. It was a beating of big proportions, and the $200,000 Christian Cullen-sponsored Classic has the look of an open and shut case.
Phillip Kennard, one of the co-owners of Fiery Falcon, put on a brave front by saying how he was looking forward to a better draw and trying to stick within four or five lengths of Auckland Reactor and see what difference that would make. He took comfort in seeing Fiery Falcon finish within eight lengths of Auckland Reactor after perhaps, at best, being 10 lengths from him at one stage. Hope for better might be one thing, but getting it quite another.
While Auckland Reactor looked as fresh at the end as he did at the start, he didn't win the contest without some push and shove. Purdon ran him hard out of the gate, and then Gavin Smith pressed up with Cullen's Legacy to see if the lead was available. He was hard to settle from there and, committed to attack, ran keenly alongside Auckland Reactor for 800 metres, until dropping off and finishing 15 lengths behind. "I had an idea where he might finish up," said Purdon. "After going hard early, and then attacked, I was a bit surprised my horse had as much left as he did," he said.
This was Auckland Reactor's ninth successive win, which puts him in easy reach of equalling and bettering the record of Purdon's previous 3-year-old star Il Vicolo, who won 11 in succession at that age. Auckland Reactor can make it 13, if he wins the Derby, Southern Supremacy Final, the Harness Jewels and a lead-up race to that. Purdon says he's "potentially the best" horse he's had. "When he came down from the north he was just a horse, and well behind the other yearlings at the same stage. I gave him six weeks work, but he was nothing remarkable at the time. There was no pressure on him because he wasn't paid up for anything. I liked him, without there being anything special about him."
When he was back in again at two, Purdon said there was still nothing to mark him out. "We had Fiery Falcon, Ohoka Arizona and Steve McQueen, all nice horse, but they'd also done a lot more. It was not until I'd taken him to a couple of workouts, where he ran second and third, that he started to impress me. Both times I thought he could have gone past the others if I'd asked him to. Off the place, it seemed as if he would step up." And when he qualified "stylishly", he became a "nice" horse, and Purdon then had the Sires' Stakes in the "back of my mind. That was a great performance, winning that, but he is a better horse now."
If Purdon and co-trainer Grant Payne had worries from time to time about his condition, they don't have them now. "He's the biggest eater on the place," Purdon said. "I recently saw a picture of Mach Three (his sire) after he won a race at the same age, and from the neck back you'd say they were identical." Between the Group 2 win of last week and the Group 1 he goes for this week, Auckland Reactor had a solo run on Monday and worked with company on Wednesday. It seems Purdon is cautious with what he does with him. "I could work him hard and he can be a good trackworker."
After Auckland Reactor and Fiery Falcon, the Mach Threes at All Star Stables almost run out. He doesn't have a 2-year-old, and his only yearling is the colt from Russley Friction bought at the Australasian Classic by Neil Pilcher and Bill Grice.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 2Apr08
YEAR: 2008
 |
| Justine Fisher, Ricky May & Sara Famularo celebrate the win |
Bailey Dream first one week, Monkey King the next. That has been the Easter efforts at Addington for the lethal Steven Reid-Ricky May-Benny Hill combination.
They won the $150,000 George Calvert Cleaning Easter Cup at Addington last Friday night with Monkey King, Baileys Dream running a close third behind Classic Cullen after winning the lead-up race the week before, and the same Cup two years ago. It was May's fourth win from eight drives with Monkey King, and Reid said he will stay on the horse, he has won eight from 16 with Baileys Dream.
After the race, Reid spent as much time in the Judicial Room as he had done on the track, firstly losing a charge of half-carting early in the race that cost him $300, then successfully explaining his reasons for not using the whip on Baileys Dream when it got tight near the end. "He doesn't appreciate it," explained Reid to the stewards. He clamps his tail, and if anything will go slower rather than quicker. It made no difference to the result, but as I take a whip they'd like to see me do something with it like having it under his tail or hitting the shaft." He'll get the chance because both Baileys Dream and Monkey King have two races ahead of them next month; at Addington on April 11, and a $50,000 one at Rangiora a fortnight later.
Monkey King didn't make it easy for himself by missing the start by possibly as much as 30 metres, May saying he was put off by Awesome Armbro's behaviour ahead of him. He moved forward and got cover in the middle stages behind Classic Cullen and Baileys Dream, and bombed them both with his usual powerful pounce. He ran the 3200m in a sterling 4.01.8.
Reid only needs Monecito to keep his record moving and he'll have three runners in next season's NZ Cup. But reinforcements are light on the ground after that, and his possibilities for the Harness Jewels will not keep him busy. "Ohoka Moon has not come up quite as good as I would have liked, but I'm confident Sno's Big Boy will be in well, and so will Montecito. I'm a bit luke-warm on Anescape; he might be a back-door entry. I know a bit about the Cambridge track, and draws for those races will be critical. But Anescape's got the potential to be an Open Class horse."
Reid says his 2-year-olds and yearling numbers could mean a short-term gap in the ranks. "We've got five home-bred yearlings and bought four from the Sales, so all up there'll be nine. But we've got twenty-five foals on the ground, so there will be a lot of young horses to look forward to," he said.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 2Apr08
YEAR: 2008
 |
Ashburton brothers Keith and Bevan Grice are building a super affinity with the NZ Trotting Derby. As breeders they've won it three times already this decade...with Dependable (trained by Mark Purdon) in 2001; Shirley Temple (Paul Nairn) last season, and now Doctor Mickey (Purdon & Grant Payne), who peeled off Sovereignty's back and edged past him to snatch victory in the Travel Practice-sponsored event on Friday night. All three talented trotters are about as closely related as you can get - Dependable was by Sundon out of Janetta's Pride, so is Shirley Temple, and Doctor Mickey is the first foal out of the pair's full-sister Jo Anne.
Allan and Lorraine Georgeson have been associated with the breed for many years too, initially through Dependable but most notably with Jo Anne, and the latter provided the couple with a whole host of fond memories after showing brilliance from 'Day One'. Jo Anne won 12 races in all, still hold three national records, and if there's one regret it's that she never went as far as expected after capturing seven of her 10 starts as a 2-year-old. "She gave us our best moments in the game," Allan recalls. "She was so dominant. When you went to the races, you knew you were going to win - probably by lengths, and in a good time too."
Jo Anne was raced on lease from the Grice brothers, and the Georgesons have been accorded the same luxury now that she's at stud. "We get the first right of refusal on her foals," Geogeson said. "They usually get snapped up pretty quickly if we don't, but the Grices are very fair and men of their word. "I thought Jo Anne would just have to leave a Derby winner, or a horse of some class, and if she didn't then maybe I should give up."
By Dr Ronerail, Doctor Mickey seemed to have lost his early reputation and wasn't given much hope in last Friday night's NZ Derby, having been landed with saddlecloth 13 when the 'big four' all drew the front line and posssessing nowhere near the same credentials; even Georgeson admits that he thought the horse "couldn't win", and hence didn't have a dime on him. "So it was a wee bit of a surprise - but a great thrill," he said afterwards. "He's always shown ability, but didn't have the manners to go with it. The mobile starts certainly help, because he's mad from a stand."
Having been broken in and educated by Mark Smolenski, Doctor Mickey joined the Purdon/Payne stable prior to his third start this time last year, and they've been listed as his 'official' trainers ever since. The gelding's gone home to the Georgeson's at various stages too though, and it hasn't been easy getting him up to where he is today. "He's just not as natural as the others, and has actually curbed both his hocks in the last couple of months," Georgeson said. "But we've all put in out tuppence worth...Lee (son) who used to take him swimming, Stephen Evans who works for us in the mornings, Tommy Behrns, and the vet Corrine Hills deserves a lot of credit for pinpointing a major problem with him. "I got her to look over him when she was down from Auckland one day, and she reckoned his knees were sore, meaning he was standing underneath himself in behind and putting strain on his hocks. So we did some remedial work on them, and put on some Back On Track boot which work a treat."
Georgeson's a licenceholder himself, but his involvement with horses has been scaled down somewhat since late last year when he needed an operation to remove a benign tumour on his brain. Left with a degree of facial palsy, recovery has been a very long and slow process but he's quick to add "well, I'm alive" and that he's gradually starting to get around the property as much as he ever did. So Doctor Mickey's Group 1 victory on Friday night was a much-welcomed boost for a family that's experienced their fair share of tribulations lately. Perhaps there could be more in store too, because plans for a North Island raid are on the table. "It'd be nice to get one more of the big ones," Georgeson said, not in any way meaning to sound greedy. "I don't think we're better than any of the other 3-year-olds, but perhaps showed that he's as good as them."
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 2Apr08
YEAR: 2008
 |
In any other year, Georgetown would be hailed for his great victory in the NZ Derby. In any other year, he'd have a NZ record to show for it as well. But he's done neither, and this is not any other year.
This is 2008 - a bad year for good 3-year-olds. And Georgetown is a very good 3-year-old. He's not alone. Fiery Falcon, Absolute Magic, Mattnamara's Band, Justa Tiger, Passion N Glory and Goldie Blue also broke Holmes D G's 3:11.1 record in the $200,000 Christian Cullen NZ Derby, running the 2600m mobile in 3:11 or better. It was not good enough.
The winner won by three lengths and ran 3:09.4. He ran his last 800 metres in 55.8. His mile rate was 1:57.2. That's Auckland Reactor for you. Ten straight wins - the Southern Supremacy Stakes Final shaping as another scalp on April 26, and the Harness Jewels a month later. Again, Auckland Reactor raised the bar too high. He didn't lead as he did in the Flying Stakes the week before, he didn't come from last as he did when he won the Sires' Stakes in November. This was another dimension; no rush out of the gate, instead eased by Mark Purdon to a settling spot near the back. At the 1600m, he set off three wide, joining Georgetown at the 1250m, then taking over a lap out. He looked strong; Purdon said he felt it.
Full credit to Georgetown. Maybe still down a notch on his fitness, he tried hard to stay with Auckland Reactor when Purdon called for more at the top of the straight. But the quarry was off and gone, and as he ended with another hard-running quarter, the only unknown factors awaiting answers were time and margin. Barron knew he was part of both, running along at a bustling speed for the first lap, then being best of the chasers at the end of the second. "I don't know if one more race would have made any difference to my horse. He was four kgs below my goal weight for him. Maybe if he was there, I might have tried to park Mark, but basically we were running for second," he said. "We were travelling well until the 400 metres. Auckland Reactor put three lengths on us at the corner, and we couldn't get it back, though it didn't get any more." With stablemate Mattnamaras Band running home as well as Absolute Magic, Barron is now considering the New South Wales Derby on Anzac Day for both horses.
By Mach Three, Auckland Reactor is raced by his breeders, Auckland vet Tony Parker and his wife Anne, who bred him from the Soky's Atom mare Atomic Lass. He is her 11th foal. The Parkers finished second with Hunka Hickling in the Derby Stars And Stripes won, and second with Sharp And Telford, who was kicked by his stablemate and eventual winner The Court Owl the day before the race. They have many hopes waiting in the wings, with foals this season by Bettor's Delight, McArdle, Artesian, Live Or Die, and Dream Away, plus yearlings by Mach Three, Continentalman, Badlands Hanover, Earl, Grinfromeartoear and Malabar Maple.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 9Apr08
YEAR: 2008
 |
When Graham and Virginia Williams bred their Nero's BB mare Second Guess to Armbro Invasion, it was going to be the last one. The mechanic at the Cust garage and his wife had not bred a winner, and they thought it was time to stop.
The foal they bred had been hurt, almost put down, but a neighbour took it on lease and later bought him for $1000. That was Major Decision, the winner of 17 races and $349,000, still racing at 13, and for the Williams "the turning point". Since then they have bred one or two foals every season, either from Second Guess or Lady Attewell, an unraced dual-gaited mare by Meadow Roydon.
None of them had been winners in 17 years, until a dramatic change in their fortunes in the $35,000 NZ Trotters Trust NZ Trotting Oaks at Addington last Friday night. They won it with Lady Eskay, Lady Attewell's filly by Safely Kept. Lady Eskay had done nothing in 11 starts to suggest she would be much of a worry for the favourites and form horses, and in any event she was meant to be pacing.
Four years ago, the couple won a service offered by Alabar at a breeders' night to either D M Dilinger or Safely Kept. They chose the latter, and bred a dark brown, energetic little thing who was a handful to break in. Her trainer Brent Lilley says she was "fiery". She never paced; and Lilley never tried her. But he liked her enough to take a share in racing her. She could trot, and to keep on top of her, Lilley kept her busy.
"She had growing pains, and little niggling problems, but I always had some time for her, even though there's not much of her. Brent Borcoskie did a great job with her in her lead-up races, but the owners felt that in a race like this they wanted someone who was out in these type of races more often. That's why Mark drove her." And, as he did with Doctor Mickey the week before when he caused an upset in the NZ Trotters' Derby, Purdon played a waiting game, buried three-deep in this case behind Gladys Emanuel and Darby Doll. He punctured the tyre of Gladys Emanuel as he eased into the open after With Intent broke on the corner, then caught Darby Doll and Gladys Emanuel and ran past them to win by half a length and half a head.
Graham Williams owes his start in harness racing to a friendship he had with Waru Taumanu, then "doing the boxes" for Denis Nyhan when Nyhan had one of the best stables in the country. "I remember leading two horses down to a paddock one day and thought 'I've got a NZ Cup winner on one side, and a Dominion Handicap winner on the other - Robalan and Hal Good."
They have more young ones to come, and they're pleased about that. One is a 2-year-old brother to Major Decision, and the other is a yearling filly by Armbro Operative from Lady Attewell. Now they have the Jewels ahead of them with Lady Eskay, though Lilley is making no commitment about that right now. Both Second Guess and Lady Attewell are getting on, one 20 and the other 16. Until recently, the Williams may not have been anxiuos to replace them, but a Group 3 winner has taken the guesswork out of that.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 9Apr08
YEAR: 2008
 |
In just 23 starts, Mountbatten has climbed to the top of the trotting ranks in New Zealand. He has won eight races, and more than $200,000. He has won two Group 1s, the Dominion Handicap and the $100,000 Garry Thompson/ Fred Shaw NZ Trotting Championship at Addington last Friday.
Considering he won a one-win front from ten metres behind at the start of the season, Mountbatten's elevation has been remarkable. He followed the Dominion with three races over Christmas at Auckland and Cambridge, and his second to Idid It Myway on the first night of the Met's Easter meeting was his first race for two and a half months. Tim Butt, who trains him with Phil Anderson, was a little concerned when he was beaten by Awesome Imace and Houdini Star the next week, so there was no day off for him last week. "He's a very athletic horse. He's got a big Sundon motor and he's a lot better that what people think," Butt said.
Anthony Butt reached the front with him at the 2000 metres, and he gradually pulled well clear of the others to beat Galleons Assassin by three lengths, who had a long neck on Lotsa Speed, Mountbatten's stablemate and possibly a big mover in waiting in the open class ranks. Idid It Myway broke at the 1000 metres when trying to improve.
Credit: HRWeekly 9Apr08
YEAR: 2008
 |
Although Sir Clive's winning streak came to an end on Friday, the consolation for the Mark Purdon/ Grant Payne stable was that it was inflicted by another of their representatives.
Bettor's Delight colt Highview Tommy and Blair Orange snatched a late victory off his stablemate in the $100,000 Group 1 Bromac Lodge NZ Welcome Stakes at Addington. Both were huge runs, and Purdon says there's little between the two youngsters. "On ability, they're very comparable," he said. "Every run of Highview Tommy's has been a great one when you analyse it...on debut in Auckland he was three-deep and rattled home for third, beaten a head and a neck, and then second-up he was three-wide from the 700m and went down by a neck in NZ record time."
Earlier in the season Purdon
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 16Apr08
YEAR: 2008
 |
Steve McRae warned she was good. And he was right, we just hadn't seen the full extent of Jumanji Franco's talent until she won the $30,000 NRM NZ 2YO Trotting Stakes at Addington last Friday night.
Despite working hard from a wide marble to eventually hit the front, Jumanji Franco had plenty in reserve when the challengers came calling at the end, needing little more than a chirp up from driver Craig Thornley to score by a length and a half. It was the third outing and first victory for the daughter of CR Commando, and afterwards Thornley paid tribute to McRae for getting her to peak at the most important stage of the season. "Steve's timed her preparation to perfection - just like he did with Jacanti Franco," Thornley said, referring to this time last year when Jumanji Franco's year older half-sister took out the NRM Sires' Stakes 2yo Trotters Championship at start number two.
That event is this Saturday, and now the pair's dam Jaguar Franco has a very real chance of a noteworthy back-to-back double. "Her blood wasn't right during the week, so if anything she should improve," Thornley claimed. "She's got a lovely way of going, this filly. And it's better when they eyeball her, because she concentrates then; otherwise she's looking all round the place."
McRae hasn't trained many trotters in his time, and after the "freakish ability" Jacanti Franco showed he thought he'd never get another one as good. Seems he was wrong about that, but he's not complaining. "Jumanji's a completely different type to Jacanti," McRae said, meaning not only their builds. "Jacanti had a few tricks, and didn't like the grit in her face for a start. But Jumanji's never galloped at home in her life. The best thing about Jumanji is probably her gait. She's very light on her feet, and everything's very effortless to her. You'd hardly get excited about her in training, because she just flops about on a loose rein - but she's a real professional," he said.
The dogs were barking about Jumanji Franco at a very early stage though, and the filly was sold for a six-figure sum to Victorian enthusiast Peter Chambers before she'd even qualified. "That's how much we thought of her," McRae said. "I've never met the guy actually. He's a mate of Ted Demmler's, and that's where Jumanji will be heading after the Jewels. It'll be a shame to loose her, but that's the nature of our business I suppose; it's happened before, and it'll happen again." McRae says that with the Jewels these days its a big enough season for baby trotters, and given a decent three to four-month spell after Cambridge Jumanji Franco should come back "a really nice horse at three".
As for Jacanti Franco, who's by Continentalman, she's all but recovered from her tendon injury and should be back in work towards the end of June. "Hopefully she'll resume sometime in Spring. We'll see if we can make up for lost time, and win some stakes so we can target the Jewels with her next year," McRae said.
Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 7May08
| << PREVIOUS | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 | NEXT >> |