Uninspired, pacer wins anyway
GRINDING pacer Moytura did his best Rocky Balboa impression to win at Oamaru yesterday.
Like the movie character did in many of the Rocky films, the pacer lifted himself off the canvas for a tenacious victory in race 3 for driver Sheree Tomlinson.
He did exactly the same when looking flat in the running and then fighting hard to win at Nelson earlier this month.
Away from the track, the Mark Jonestrained pacer has more similarities to the character made famous by actor Sylvester Stallone.
They both put plenty of effort into their training.
‘‘At home he is good, he gets on the job, but on raceday he is odd — he is a bit lazy,’’ Jones said.
‘‘But the main thing is he keeps going.’’
Despite racing like he is uninspired, Moytura is a strong and motivated trackworker.
‘‘I don’t think he is going to wake up in a hurry. He makes it hard on himself and hard on the driver.’’
Moytura came to Jones after he launched a huge performance to run third in his last start, at Oamaru in May.
The placing for trainerdriver Bruce Hutton prompted a large group of owners to buy the horse and place him with Jones.
That performance gives Jones hope that the horse is not just an onpace grinder.
Jones is also hopeful that when Moytura finds himself in races run faster, as he rises up the racing grades, it will suit his unique way of going.
Tomlinson was suspended for the manner she crossed Moytura to the lead with a lap to go. Her manoeuvre sent Some Excusesomewhere, also trained by Jones, into a gallop, which cost him his winning chance.
The Burnham trainer scored his second win on yesterday’s card when blueblood filly Naiya Franco won the following race.
The daughter of former racetrack star Nearea Franco and sire Mach Three wore down the leaders to score a respectable win in testing conditions.
The win did not suggest the 3yrold was quite ready to follow in the footsteps of her halfsister, Nike Franco, who is one of the fastest race mares in North America.
But Jones thinks the filly will make a decent mark on the racetrack.
‘‘She is a pretty nice filly. The breed does get better and she is a big weak thing, so she should strengthen up,’’ he said.
‘‘She has got the potential to be well above average, but she hasn’t raced or trialled like she has worked.’’
Naiya Franco is raced by Australian Mark Denyer, a client of Victorian trainer Dean Braun.
Braun trained Nike Franco before she was sold to American interests, where she has been a star freeforall mare.
Jones said Naiya Franco would eventually move to Braun’s stable and race in Victoria.
A lack of recent racing and standingstart practice was not enough to stop Franco Santino in yesterday’s feature pace.
The 3yrold stepped cleanly before trainerdriver Nathan Williamson drove a patient race on the favourite, waiting until there was 450m left to run before launching Franco Santino for a big finish.
The colt was tested by runnerup Pass The Speights in the straight but fought hard to win.
Consistent trotter Beyond The Horizon scored his third career win in yesterday’s feature trot.
The Lyn and Justin Smithtrained trotter looked to relish yesterday’s slushy track conditions as he ran to a comfortable win over Red Hot Poker and Trick Star.