NZ HARNESS NEWS
The big guns are beginning to circle for the first Caduceus Club of Southland Super Nugget Final at Ascot Park on March 10 with The Bus at the head of the queue.
Now a six-race winner, the Mark Jones-trained colt quit maidens at Gore in August and then won the initial Nugget final at Ascot Park in October.
The $20,000 Super Final, part of the feature-filled fixture staged by the Northern Southland Club, is now firmly on his agenda.
“That will be his main target; he will be there all going to plan,” said Jones.
After a win at Winton on New Years’ Eve and a double at Nelson, The Bus was at Mount Hutt on Sunday, comfortably winning a 2400-metre workout.
Local trainer Alister Black leads the Southern assault with Kilowatt Kid, second to The Bus in the first final, and Lawrence, runner-up to Franco Santino in the second.
Black expressed satisfaction with the placing of Lawrence behind Zealand Star at Winton on Sunday after being held up at a crucial time, and the way Kilowatt Kid has freshened.
“Of the two I’d favour Lawrence and Brad Williamson will drive him.
“I’ll drive Kilowatt Kid. He goes best fresh and will have a couple of workouts,” Black said.
While Brett Gray plans to have Zealand Star in the Super Final, Nathan Williamson is less confident with Franco Santino, but has time on his side.
“It’s still on the radar but he’s taken a while to come back,” Williamson said of the Christian Cullen colt who has had three workouts in February.
While the Super Final will be open to all series participants, only the first two home in each of the finals are guaranteed a start.
Six have been run, there’ll be another on the grass at Ascot Park on March 3, so 14 spots guaranteed.
One belongs to Detroit Lily, who left for Australia in January, and another to the Robert Dunn-trained Henry Hubert, winner at Wyndham on 4 February.
“He was gelded after that, he’s 50/50,” John Dunn said.
- NZ Harness News
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