It has been nine months since Special Ops was in the
winner’s circle but last Saturday at Addington Raceway she
came out and fought strongly to win the 2600m Konami
Canterbury Regional Country Cups Championship.
Trained by Ross Rennie and driven by Ricky May, Special Ops
was sent out second favourite after her previous second to
Bondy in the Cheviot Cup a fortnight prior.
Starting from 20 metres with the favourite Charles Bronson,
Special Ops stepped away well and began her ascent to the
lead. Having a tough trip three-wide, the six-year-old mare
moved up to sit parked with 1000 metres to go.
Showing great staying power, Special Ops found more in the
reserves and battled home to win by a head over Chilli for
second and Bon Ton Boy, third. This win was her eighth from
64 starts and has taken her earnings to over the $100,000
mark.
The Mark Purdon and Grant Payne trained Sir Clive kept up
his unbeaten status last Saturday at Addington, to win the
1950m PGG Wrightson NZ Yearling Sales Southern Graduate.
This being his third start, he was again too good for the
rest. Driven by Mark Purdon, the son of Christian Cullen
quickly took the lead and dominated the race thereafter.
Not giving an inch Sir Clive treated his rivals with disdain
and cruised ahead to win by one-and-a-half lengths over his
game stablemate Highview Tommy and The Force in third.
Last year’s Three-year-old Trotting Gelding of the Year
looks all set to take the four-year-old title this season.
Addington was the venue for his second Group Race success,
the Group 3 First Sovereign Trust 4YO Trotters Championship.
Trained by Phil Williamson and driven by son Nathan,
Springbank Richard showed his immense talent and won
convincingly by one-and three-quarter lengths in a time of
3.21.3, mile rate of 2.04.5.
Surprise of the night was the Ken Ford trained Spirit Of The
Sun who gamely chased Springbank Richard home for second,
with Brylin Paige holding on for third, making up a $1819
with the hot pot.
Springbank Richard will be a strong contender to defend his
Harness Jewels title. He is currently sitting at fifth place
on the Jewels leaderboard, amazing considering this is only
his second start this season.
A tough, gritty performance is the only way you could
describe Baileys Dreams’ win on Saturday at Addington. Up
against the cream of the crop he showed what a class horse
he is to win the Group 3 Paul Renwick Kitchen & Joinery
Centre FFA.
With a change in driver from Ricky May to trainer Steven
Reid, Baileys Dream ended up at the back of the field and
had to work three-wide to move forwards and sit parked
against leader Classic Cullen.
Once in the home straight, the battle began. Baileys Dream
kept grinding away, eyeballing Classic Cullen and then
diving through the finish line to win by a head in a time of
3.11.6, mile rate 1.58.7. Classic Cullen held on for second
with Awesome Armbro three-quarters of a length back for
third.
Favourite and stablemate Monkey King who was way back in the
field, showed his characteristic burst of speed in the
closing stages and shot home for fourth.
But the horse of the night was “Big Bad Bailey” a tough
customer who has won 21 races from 52 starts and over
$800,000 in earnings. Winner of last year’s Easter Cup, the
tough performance last Saturday should surely put him in hot
contention to win the title again. The Group 1 Easter Cup is
to be run this Friday (28th March) at Addington.
It's hard to believe, as you watch a replay of his
performance at Addington in Race 1 last Saturday that the
seven-figure deal on the table for Auckland Reactor fell
through last week.
In a breathtaking display of power pacing, the Mach Three
colt crushed a useful 3-4 Win field and did it in a very
fast time.
Auckland Reactor drew a tricky spot at one on the second
row, from the mobile start but Mark Purdon was all fire and
brimstone at the start as he worked the star off the markers
and into the running line within the first 150 metres.
From there it was a question of how much? Auckland Reactor
soon found the lead and imparted his will on the field.
From the mile, which he got to in even time, the equine
wrecking ball reeled off 400m splits of 30.5, 29.8, 30.5 and
finished with a heart rendering 26.9 to record 3.12.5 for
the 2600m mobile. Just a second and a bit outside Holmes D
G's national record and conditions were far from perfect.
This week Auckland Reactor takes his eight-win unbeaten
streak into the Group 2 First Sovereign Trust Flying Stakes,
where he will square of against stablemate Fiery Falcon
amongst other top three-year-olds.
Favourite Costalot kept punters happy when he won the 3000m
South Taranaki Club Hawera Cup on Easter Monday. Driven by
trainer Tony Herlihy Costalot had a 10-metre handicap to
contend with alongside first day winner Southern Scruff.
Settling mid-field then working forward to get the one-one,
ace reinsman Herlihy gave the horse every chance. Once on
the home-straight Costalot made his move, Herlihy unleashed
the gelding and he surged ahead to win by half-a-length over
a plucky Southern Scruff for second and The Adman, third.
Costalot a four-year-old by Holmes Hanover out of Lumber Lie
has won eight races from 29 starts and over $70,000 in prize
money. He is second on the North Island Country Cups series,
with the final to be held on the 25th April at Alexandra
Park.
