Sundara Sizzles

By Adam Hamilton

Sundara provided the highlight of an otherwise dull day at Winton on Sunday by posting 1:57.4 while winning the Zealandia Horticulture Fillies and Mares Mobile Mile.

The Bettor’s Delight filly was an $11,000 purchase at the Christchurch Premier Sale in 2014 by prominent Invercargill owner Tom Kilkelly. She is out of Kurahaupo Legend, grand-dam of Bella Starr who won once and was three times second in four starts for Kilkelly.

Her best placing was to Rocknroll Arden in the group three Caduceus Club Of Southland Fillies Classic in 2013. After that, Kilkelly sold a majority share and Bella Starr was sent to Australia. She was a group one winner at Melton in July 2014 and is herself now in foal to Bettor’s Delight.

Sundara is trained at Tisbury by Kirstin Barclay who said a virus had troubled the filly this campaign but she had always hinted a good mile time was not beyond her. The winning driver was Nathan Williamson, one of nine drivers to win on the nine race programme.

Memphis Mafia broke three minutes when winning the 2400 metre Tui Products Winter Fuels mobile. It was a return to winning form for the P. Hunter-trained son of Christian Cullen who was sidelined by a tendon injury soon after his first win at Gore in October 2014.

Hunter’s brother Hamish also tasted success when Devil May Care took the Winton Mitre 10 Sponsored Day Pace, roaring home on a 55.8 last half to record his 11th win. Devil May Care has been Hunter’s most tightly assessed runner this season but that changed about three weeks ago when Franco Ledger went back into work. The $680,000 earner returned from Australia about three months ago.

When the field for the CRC Lubricants Pace turned for home, winner Havinravup was back and wide and looked a forlorn hope. But on a 56.9 last half, he came over the top of them to register his third win in his past four starts. Havinravup’s trainer Craig Ferguson’s record is now an incredible four wins, three seconds and a third from nine starts.

Northview Betta became trainer Brett Gray’s eighth winner of 11 races this season for the Butterworth Racing Syndicate when successful in the Drymix Concrete Pace.

The three year old, out of successful broodmare Beaudiene Bonnie, was acquired by the Butterworths after Murray Brown produced him at Ascot Park early in December for an easy maiden win.

There was a home-track victory in the Happy Birthday Ray Hazlett Trot when Strathspey got up to win by a neck. He’d disappointed at Oamaru a week earlier and his trainer Alister Kyle concluded the four year old hadn’t put in much of an effort.

“I don’t normally gallop him in work but he didn’t try at Oamaru so I galloped him this week,” Kyle explained, “he’s still a bit weak but a solid enough trotter to take it.”

Strathspey Boy is raced but Kyle’s sister Sandra who was at dancing competitions and missed the win. A strathspey is the bagpipe tune played for a highland fling.

The combination of owner Ian Bennett and trainer Craig Laurenson was to the fore again when Two Ply won the Happy 40th Birthday Ali Mountney Mobile. He is out of Bennett’s good racemare, On The Double, winner of 10 from 51 and prepared for seven of them by Laurenson.

By Rock N Roll Heaven, Two Ply became On The Double’s second winner. Her first, Wick, won five from 19 before his sale to the United States earlier this year.

Jabali made the long wait for Rimu owners and breeders Ross and Dianne Hope worth it when as a five year old broke through for his maiden victory in the Energizer Pace.

Dianne explained that after his three races in November 2014, Jabali sustained injuries in a fall and was given plenty of time to recover.

The son of Extreme Three traces back to the two good Hope mares Midnight Lady and her daughter Adiana Lady. He is trained by Ross Hope, an engineer at the Alliance Freezing Works for more than 40 years before retiring in January.