By Mac Henry
* Zoey’s Gift confirmed her spot in the group two New Zealand Trotting Oaks at Addington on 31 March with a New Zealand record winning performance at Winton on Saturday.
Third daughter of the group one winning mare Jasmyn’s Gift, Zoey
trotted the 2400 metres from behind the mobile in 3:03.5, best ever for a three year old filly. The previous record had also been set on the track, by Jen Jaccka two years earlier.
She was driven by Matthew Williamson and trained by his father Phil who has reservations about running in the Oaks but knows she is only eligible for it once.
“I hope she will be competitive but I’m not getting too carried away,” he said. “She’s a fair sort of horse but the 1950 mobile start is a bit draw-dependent. Her mother was outpaced in the Oaks and this filly might be too.”
Jasmyn’s Gift was having her third start when only eighth in the 2003 Oaks, but went on to win 17 of her 48 goes. Williamson said Zoey’s Gift was too big to race as a juvenile and the family is better with time.
“She should have a big future,” he said.
* Matthew Williamson gained a second win on Saturday when he guided Gotta Del to victory in the C3 to C5 mobile 2400. They led all the way and cleared out to score by five and three quarter lengths in 2:58.2. Gotta Del is trained by Clark Barron for his breeder and owner Ian Hunter who won with his trotter Delestic last Sunday. The horses share the same third dam in the trotting winner Delalee. She left the group two winner Aron Del who finished fourth in the 1989 Rowe Cup.
* Trainer Kirstin Barclay gained her first bag of three winners when My Rona Gold, Grace Burns and Magical Marn were successful. Grace Burns, a winner at Waikouaiti 11 days earlier, is raced by her breeder Tom Kilkelly. The mare is named after a sister of Kilkelly’s father in law, long time southern harness administrator Peter Burns.
Kilkelly also races the three year old Magical Marn, a $15,000 purchase at the 2015 premier sale.
“Tom picked him but didn’t go to the sales, I had to do the bidding and was a bit nervous, I went slightly over his limit,” Barclay said.
Five year old grey mare Rona Gold is raced by Barclay’s husband, Nick, Kilkelly’s wife Julie, and Julie’s daughter Holly Brown. Barclay was the successful driver of Magical Marn while Andrew Suddaby won on My Rona Gold and Grace Burns.
* Earlier in the day, Suddaby had won the C0 claimers on Pegasus Merrily to give him three for the day. He’d previously achieved the feat at Invercargill in January 2002, and Forbury Park in November of both 2004 and 2005, but his best was Copper Belt, Jaccka Turbo, Boulder Bay and Elvis Rocks at Forbury Park in May 2005.
Pegasus Merrily was trainer Matt Saunders’ third win since his move to Tapanui on 6 January. He has taken over the seven-days-a week Four Square store there and trains on the old Tapanui race-course, sharing the facilities with galloping trainers Nikki and Barrie Blatch.
“I can have three there, I paddock train them,” said Saunders.
His first two wins were with Marshal Star, on the grass at Cromwell and Waikouaiti. Saunders said he sold the six year old to the Central Districts during the week and had only just replenished his team to three and it is back to two again.
Pegasus Merrily, who won the mobile mile in 1:56.7, was claimed for $4500 by Rowena Mackintosh after spending about six weeks with Saunders.
* Nathan Williamson kicked off a trainer-driver double with the unbeaten Shezacullengirl in a C0 mile. The daughter of Chloe Hanover had won her sole start as a juvenile in April and was getting ready to kick off in October when she strained a muscle in her back end. She paced the mile in 1:57.3 and pleased Williamson.
“She doesn’t thrill you at home but turned it on on raceday,” he said.
Talented trotter Sundons Wish made it two from three and Williamson reckons he is back on track after failing at Ascot Park in January.
“He was tying up and is trained out of the paddock now,” Williamson said, “he’s got a good motor and trotted nice and square today.”
* Rain had soaked the track before the C1 and C2 mares and fillies mile but Break Dance still managed to clock 1:55.9, fastest of the three mobile miles on the day. Break Dance is trained at Waikouaiti by Amber Hoffman and one of two winners for Blair Orange whose drives this season are about to crack the million dollars in earnings. In the final race of the day, fellow Cantabrian visitor, the Cran Dalgety-trained Baileys Rock gave Orange his second win.
* Operative Asset, dam of the good performers Citylight and Belkmyster, struck again when I’m Jimmy James won at just his second time to the races. The three year old by Big Jim was bred and is owned and trained by Steve Baucke at Woodlands who said he had I’m Jimmy James running at two, he showed ability but he turned him out to grow. A half brother by Mach Three was picked up by Mark Jones for $12,000 and last week’s sales. Baucke has an American Ideal two year old filly from operative Asset, she has a foal at foot by A Rocknroll Dance, and is in foal to Sportswriter.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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