Change of roles for Hollis

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk

Logan Hollis is a familiar face at New Zealand Bloodstock Standardbred’s Karaka sales complex and on Thursday night he will attempt to win one their sales series races.

Hollis was this year’s leading consignor by average at NZB Standardbred’s National Yearling Sale at Auckland, but on Thursday he will take on the roles of part-owner, trainer and driver when he lines-up The Iron Lady in the Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million 2 Final Mobile Pace (1700m).

The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere was passed in at last year’s Karaka yearling sales and Hollis has teamed up with vendors Ken and Karen Breckon, of Breckon Farms, to race the filly.

“She was passed in and we know Charlotte Mooney, who does a lot of work for Breckon Farms, very well,” said Hollis, who trains in partnership with Shane Robertson.

“We got hold of her to see if they had anything they would like to lease out and they came back with a deal on her, which I accepted.

“It’s the first one we have had for Ken and Karen.”

The Iron Lady carried Breckon Farms’ fawn and brown colours to a third-placed result when on debut at Alexandra Park last week.

Driven by Hollis, The Iron Lady was kept on the fence where she had a quiet time of things before being asked to quicken in the straight and ran on well for her placing.

“She is just very green at the moment, but once she got going she did everything right and I was really happy with her run,” Hollis said.

The South Auckland horseman will once again be in the bike this week, and while the outsider in the eight-horse field, Hollis is still expecting a solid performance after drawing three.

“She worked well on Tuesday. I am very happy going into it,” he said.

“It is quite a nice field and probably her inexperience might count against her, but if she does everything right she will still go well.”

While doing the steering on Thursday, Hollis said he will step aside once she becomes more settled on race night.

“I said to Ken Breckon, the part-owner, that it’s better for me to drive her at the moment because I know her and next year as a three-year-old I think she will be the real deal, and we will look at putting someone else on her then,” he said.

Hollis has enjoyed a standout season through the deeds of Luke John and Christianshavtime, and he said racing in the Harness Millions only adds to the excitement.

“We have had a really good season and have had some nice horses this year,” he said. “It’s nice to be in that sort of race. There are only eight in it and she is one of them, so it is quite exciting being there.”

While Luke John has departed their South Auckland stable, Hollis is looking forward to the Jewels next month with Christianshavtime, who sits in third position on the 4YO Emerald standings.

“Christianshavtime will be racing next week, two weeks before the Jewels,” Hollis said.

“He never goes a bad race and even though he only beat a couple home last time (Messenger), his sectionals were as good as the winner’s. You just need the luck in the big races.