Lawson lands his second NZ junior drivers’ championship
Waikato’s Simon Lawson is this year’s New Zealand Junior Drivers’ Championship winner. Lawson claimed the title at Addington last Thursday night.
Lawson, who along with fellow Waikato-born and raised talents Zac Butcher and Josh Dickie comes out of his time at the end of this month, recorded a win behind Sol Invictus in the first of three heats and wasn’t pegged back from there.
It is the second time Lawson, who works for Geoff Small in South Auckland, has won the title, after his initial success in 2009.
Meanwhile, accomplished Pukekohe junior driver Simon McMullan will join long-time employer Steven Reid in a training partnership for the new season at the start of next month. Heat 1: Learners Mob Pace (2200m): 1 Millie Sampson (2f Bettor’s Delight-Cullens Creation); 2 Miss Firefly; 3 Scarlett Johansson. Seven starters. Tr: J Dickie, Dr: F Schumacher. Neck, 1L. 2:57.1 (61.6/29.5). Heat 2: Non Winners Mob Pace (2200m): 1 Earthbound (2g Elsu-Move Heaven Andearth); 2 Tactful Lady; 3 Rado. Six starters. Tr/Dr: S McCaffrey. 1L, 10L. 2:47.8 (58.3/29). Heat 3: 1-2 Win Mob Pace (2200m): 1 Racer (2c Mach Three-Reine Guinevere); 2 Johann; 3 American Classic. Only starters. Tr/Dr: S McCaffrey. 6L,1/2L. 2:53.5 (57.3/27.8). Heat 4: Non Winners Mob Pace (2200m): 1 Smoken
July 6 – Weather: fine. Track: fast.
McMullan, a Christchurch native, moved to Auckland in 2006 to work for Reid and, except for a short stint with Doug Gale, has been a permanent fixture there since. Bad (3f Badlands Hanover-Rosemathias); 2 Hearts N Flowers; 3 Stagefright. Five starters. Tr: D Kaa, Dr: B Butcher. 3/4L, head. 2:49.4. (60.2/29.6). Heat 5: 3-8 Win Mob Pace (2200m): 1 Elias Bromac (5h Rocknroll Hanover-Rose Vear); 2 Carlos; 3 Brooke Brad Carolina. Four starters. Tr: P Scaife, Dr: G Robb. Nose, 4L. 2:49.6. (59.6/27.5). Heat 6: Learners Stand Trot (2200): 1 Winsome Falcon (6g Falcon Seelster-Universal Win); 2 Ma Cille. Only starters. Tr: K Webber, Dr: T Furness. 1 1/4L. 3:10.1. (62.5/30.8). Heat 7: 1-4 Win Stand Trot (2700m): 1 Rare Opportunity (4g Pegasus Spur-Princess Della); 2 Sunshield; 3 Johnny Springfield. Seven starters. Tr: P Blanchard & G Rogerson, Dr: T Mitchell. half-head, 2L. 3:36.4 (60.2/28.2).
Reid has often publicly credited McMullan for the success of stable star Gold Ace and this partnership is an acknowledgement of the regard in which he holds his prodigy.
McMullan, who has driven sparingly by choice this season, has one more year left on his junior driver’s ticket.
Exciting Cambridge two-year-old Bandana is under offer.
The son of Badlands Hanover was an impressive debut winner for trainer Roni Lauren at Alexandra Park on June 28 and looks set to join Perth trainer Gary Hall, the trainer of this season’s Interdominion and Auckland Cup winner, I’m Themightyquinn.
Gun two-year-old Racer was a surprise runner at the Cambridge workouts on Saturday, easily accounting for his two opponents by six lengths.
Trainer Sean McCaffrey plans on lining up the horse in an Australasian Breeders’ Crown heat at Cambridge on Thursday.
Should he triumph in that heat, a possible mid-winter sojourn to Melbourne is on the cards for the tworace winner, who was the subject of a big betting plunge in the Harness Jewels.
Moment Of Truth’s stay at Andrew and Lynn Neal’s Cambridge stable was short-lived after he was claimed again on Friday night.
The grand old trotter, who is rising 11 and has won 22 races, was claimed by Andrew Neal out of the Derek Balle stable on June 28.
However, Balle’s owners acted immediately to get him back, lodging a successful claim to get back the horse that had won four races for them since they claimed him out of the Rob Lawson stable in March.