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The Dominion is all about the Ford factory.

However, it’s horsepower of a different variety – equine!

For the second straight year, West Melton trainer Ken Ford has walked away with the biggest trotting cheque in the southern hemisphere after his brilliant performer Marcoola delivered a stunning performance to win the Gr.1 $300,000 Used To Me @ Haras de Trotteurs Dominion at Addington today (Friday).

Twelve months ago, the Ford family was left shell-shocked after Amaretto Sun and young Sheree Tomlinson (Ford's grand-daughter) pulled off a longshot shocker to win the south island feature and again today, they were left a little gob smacked by the sheer arrogance and blinding acceleration of their star trotter as he raced away with the 3200m standing start feature.

Handled by Ford's son Clint, it was utter domination from Marcoola.



Unlike last year, the performance today didn’t completely shock anyone because most are acutely aware of the rich talent the Sundon six-year-old entire possesses.

In lead-up to the event, his form has been true and consistent but the barrier allowed punters to gain a juicy price about the speedy performer.

Race favourite Speeding Spur was backing-up following his Gr.1 FFA victory on Tuesday and was attempting to claim the Rowe Cup/Dominion double in the same year while join the other 17 trotters to claim the Cup week double.

With Alderbeck, Temporale and Hey Yo all beginning quickly and vying for the early supremacy, Speeding Spur stepped safely and landed in a handy spot just behind the leaders.

Classy mare Harriet Of Mot galloped away badly and lost considerable ground.

Within the first lap, changes swept over the field with the highly fancied Great Things Happen finding the lead while Lemond was left parked without cover and Speeding Spur sitting right on his back.

The tempo was dawdling with Great Things Happen and driver Gavin Smith walking the big field through the opening lap.

The lead time was covered in 2:08.1.

Speeding Spur made a move around the 1200m point and parked outside Great Things Happen while Ronald J soon followed and raced outside the leader.

The first half was covered in 29.2 and 31.7 seconds.

Entering the back straight, Great Things Happen led Ronald J while Speeding Spur sat poised ready to strike.

Passing the 1000m point, driver Clint Ford made his move with Marcoola and allowed him to stride forward three wide and his run was unimpeded.

And he came with a rush as he built massive momentum.

The third quarter was covered in 29.7 seconds.

With his blinding acceleration, Marcoola surged to the lead and soon opened up the field and raced away to lead by a clear margin entering the home straight.

Ford kept his charge focused as Australian trotter Kyvalley Blur started to charge down the outside but the margin was too great.

Marcoola scored convincingly and registered a margin of 4 lengths from Kyvalley Blur with a further 2.75 lengths back to Lemond in third while Speeding Spur finished fourth.

The winning time was 4:08 – a mile rate of 2:04.6 with a final split of 28.7 seconds.

Yet again, it was time for celebration for the Ford family.

“He felt really good and there was some cat and mouse tactics from Anthony (Butt – Kyvalley Blur) and Tony (Herlihy – Temporale) and I just went for it. He trotted great and showed great speed but I kept thinking they were coming and I kept checking but he did it well.” Driver Clint Ford said.

Marcoola is raced in partnership by Clint and his father Ken.

The last time a trainer prepared back to back winners in the Dominion was Tim Butt back in 2003/04 after Take A Moment and Lyell Creek proved triumphant.

Interestingly, Marcoola is closely related to Lyell Creek and takes his record to 14 wins from 31 starts while his earnings now exceed $410,000.

The next leg of the 2018/19 Australian Pacing Gold Trotting Masters is the $150,000 Inter Dominion in Melbourne on December 15.

Credit: Chris Barsby, Harnessink Media, 17 November 2018

It was an upset of gigantic proportions. But it was also history in the making. Talented trotter Amaretto Sun and harness racing teenage driver Sheree Tomlinson proved victorious in today’s (Friday) Gr.1 $300,000 Haras des Trotteurs Dominion Handicap at Addington in Christchurch.

Prepared by respected horseman Ken Ford, Amaretto Sun was friendless in the betting and saluted at odds of $91.20 while defeating The Foot Tapper and Monty Python in the 3200m stand-start classic, the biggest trotting event staged in New Zealand and first staged in 1911.

Tomlinson, 19, becomes the first female driver to win the time-honoured trotting feature and showed patience beyond her youthful years when guiding the Sundon gelding to victory.

The pre-race hype focused on Tuesday’s Trotting Free-For-All winner Great Things Happen with many expecting the giant trotter to repeat his crushing victory while the flashy Bordeaux was tipped to be his biggest challenger.

When the strands released, Amaretto Sun pounced on the early lead before releasing The Foot Tapper while Great Things Happen quickly moved forward and tackled for the lead role.

With Great Things Happen controlling the speed, there were little or no moves within the first mile of the event which had punters on good terms with themselves.

The lead time was covered in 2:06.8.

The first move in the race came via Bordeaux who moved three-wide with 1300m to run while Daryl Boko and Dark Horse joined the developing cover.

But Great Things Happen continued to cruise in the leading role and posted sectionals of 29.1 and 29.5 seconds for the first half of the final mile.

Approaching the home turn, Great Things Happen found little when challenged quickly by Bordeaux while The Foot Tapper and Amaretto Sun went to the passing lane with Monty Python and Harriet Of Mot both starting to charge deeper off the track.

At the 100m mark, it was Amaretto Sun who struck the lead while The Foot Tapper, Bordeaux and Monty Python battled hard.

Harriet Of Mot, who almost fell soon after the start, made a break in the final stages and cost itself a certain placing.

At the finish, it was Amaretto Sun who sprinted best to score by over a length from The Foot Tapper with another half-length back to Monty Python in third while Bordeaux finished a close-up fourth.

The final half was covered in splits of 29.4 and 29.7 seconds.

The gross time was 4:04.7 – the mile rate was 2:03.0.

It was well outside of the race record set twelve months earlier when Monbet trotted 4:00.7.

Race favourite Great Things Happen weakened to finish 11th.

"He felt good in the running and has so much speed. It felt amazing," Tomlinson said.

“It’s very special for the family.” She added.

Tomlinson is the granddaughter of Ford and the family has enjoyed tremendous success in recent times with outstanding trotter Marcoola.

The shock result provided Tomlinson with her maiden Group One triumph and it’s a victory she will never forget.

Amaretto Sun's sire Sundon won the Dominion in 1990.

Credit : Chris Barsby writing on Harnesslink, November 2017


Credit: Chris Barsby writing on Harnesslink, November 2017

KEN FORD - Horseman

For three seasons, Arabess was left empty and the Ford family kept their distance. Loyal Clint was the only one who put up with her bad side. His parents Ken and Diane and sister Amanda Tomlinson, more concerned, used stern words that reflected their opinion and you might guess what they were. "She was very difficult to deal with," recalled Ken. "Hard to load on the float, always wanting to kick, and you could say we were all a bit frightened of her. She was more Clint's horse and he stuck by her, and his prudent and careful management paid off with a useful race career and a breeding one that has already topped that. After winning three races from 46 starts, Arabess was sent to Sundon, leaving a colt that was to be the brilliant young trotter, Marcoola.

As far as breeding went, that was the end of it, because Arabess was then left empty. But as Marcoola developed the Fords knew the mare had left something special, and there was a gap in the line. "We look a bit silly now, not breeding her, but we've always done the mares here," said Ken, indicating the battle ahead if they had tried again with Arabess at home. They didn't want to face that. So we sent her to Nevele R and they had no trouble with her and she's in foal to Trixton."

Marcoola set a 3yo c&g national record when he defeated High Gait in the New Zealand Trotting derby, running 3:13.9(1:59.9) for the mobile 2600m and he'd run 3:14.9 the week before, so he was only getting better. Since they were given Kahlum by close family friends Peter and Ellen Smith 30 years ago, the family has always cultivated their trotting breed, and while Marcoola is not the best - Zuri won 12 and Aramid 10 - he is hot on their tails.

Back then the Ford's lived in Kaikoura where Ken's father Bruce had a transport business; gravel and tip-trucks, and selling and servicing Holdens and Vauxhalls. When Bruce returned from the war, where he served in the Middle East, he tried his luck with a galloper. It was of no account, which caused his wife Margaret to tell him:"One more and I'll go." A threat that fortunately she never carried out.

Ken's schooling was at Rangiora High School as a boarder along with his brother Brian who still runs the trucks. Both were brilliant rugby players, first 15ers and both played wing; Brian went on a bit and played for the All Blacks. Ken's first career was shearing here and in Australia which gave them the equity to buy a dairy farm. During this time, their children Clint, Amanda and Trish were into riding, eventing and pony clubs, and the Smiths taught them how to ride. At one time Clint was a youthful assistant Clerk of the Course at the annual Kaikoura meeting. When they decided to ship south, the Smiths insisted they take one of their numerous mares and suggested one they had by Noodlum.

"It was Kahlum. They had just qualified a Roydon Glen pacer from her and they liked the way he went." This was Lyell Creek and a month later he qualified as a trotter. He would win 56 races and achieve greatness. Looking for 10 acres, the Fords bought the 120 acres in West Melton owned by former Met president Peter Andrews, on the condition he left a mare, which he dis - Evelyn's Choice.

Ken's first job was driving a delivery van around the city before work at Paparoa Prison as a prison guard for years. When Ken told near neighbour, Jim Dalgety he'd been offered Kahlum, Jim told him to accept at once; furthermore, he suggested serving her with his resident stallion, Wingspread. The Progeny from this mating was Laurel Creek, who didn't race but wouldn't have been a disgrace if she had. "She could run the time and had the potential to be real good," recalled Ken, "but she got hurt on the track and we never tried her after that."

Kahlum would leave 11 foals of varying talent; Jacquimo was a smart pacer by Courage Under Fire, The Iron Gate gave Clint his first win as a driver at Hawera. Little Mo is ready to step up to the middle grade, and they always rated Lumlum, an unraced daughter of Grant Our Wishes.

From her nine foals, Laurel Creek has left six winners, with Amaretto Sun the best of them. He has one five from 16 starts, and heads to the Jewels along with Marcoola. The last of them is Laurelson, a rangy 3yo filly by Monarchy who will get her chance.

Lumlum is the dam of Spirit Of Sun, a winning daughter of Sundon, and bred with the blood of two sires Ken is soft on. Spirit Of Sun foaled a filly this season by Superfast Stuart and is in foal to Peak. With Arabess back in business, Ken says, "There is every possibility he will use semen from the deceased Sundon next season, and maybe Zsa Zsa as well."


As well as the senior members of the family, the junior ones are up to their hocks in horses; Sheree, Amanda's daughter, is a promising junior driver with Murray Brown and her sister Keryn is helping Bruce Negus whenever she can. Keryn has won the Kids Kartz New Zealand Cup three times with Dimmy and Frisbee and her younger brother Zane won the race in November with Frisbee. Earlier this year Zane was invited to compete in an Australian competition over two days in Canberra, finishing well with a second in the consolation. Clint's young boys Lochie and Sam are now into it, giving certainly to the thought that the Ford family will flourish famously both on the track and off it.



Credit: Mike Grainger writing in Harnessed May 2016