Shame to see Forbury Park close — Jones
TOP Canterbury trainer Mark Jones has spoken of the consequences of closing Forbury Park.
Jones will line up three of his stable at the twilight meeting at the St Kilda track today and fancies all of them.
The Burnham trainer said it was disappointing to see the complex go and it would be missed.
‘‘It is sad to see that it won’t be there any more. That is the place where I first got started. Went down there and drove a few horses,’’ he said.
‘‘That is where a lot of young people get their start. You put a lot of younger horses down there, that are not quite ready. It is a good starting place for young horses.
‘‘We have to be careful there. Now we are only going to have Addington as the only track with lights in the South Island. You’re just not going to attract the people, the owners especially. You have got to give them something.’’
Jones said he could understand the reasoning behind the closure of the track but it was still a shame.
The track is set to close at the end of the season after more than 100 years of harness racing at the venue.
Jones will line up La Rosa in the 3yrold fillies’ series heat and is confident his charge will do the business.
‘‘She is good. It is not the draw we wanted but as long as she gets away then she should do well.’’
Jones said La Rosa was a top horse once she got started but sometimes had issues with the mobile. She was the sole horse coming off the second row which might not suit her but she would be fine once she got away.
Miss Serenade is having her first start but has placed in both her trials, winning the first, so was a good chance to impress.
Jones was expecting the 3yrold filly to go well.
Artatac was a hard horse to judge.
He trained like Tarzan and ran like Jane, Jones said.
Artatac will line up in the last of the night, rating 5055 mobile pace.
If he got it all right then he would be right in the running but it was just too hard to tell. He was a horse who thought too much sometimes.