Tomlinson to continue northern raid

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk

Maudarchy has seen a fair bit of New Zealand in the last month.

The Brad Williamson-trained trotter finished second at Invercargill earlier this month before travelling to the opposite end of the country to run third at Alexandra Park last week.

The lure of a penalty free win enticed owner Kerryn Tomlinson to send her mare north, and the junior reinswoman will travel to Cambridge Raceway from her Oamaru base on Friday to drive the six-year-old in the Betavet Trot (2700m).

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Tomlinson was pleased with Maudarchy’s placing at Auckland last week, but she is expecting a better result on Friday, with her mare having had more time to settle into caretaker trainer Ross Paynter’s Cambridge barn.

“I was really happy with her run last week at Auckland, she only got up there on the Monday so she should be a lot sharper and a lot more settled this week,” Tomlinson said.

“The 2700m is a bit of a worry, but she has got great standing start manners so she should definitely put herself into the race.”

Tomlinson has enjoyed racing Maudarchy and said her acquisition came about by chance.

“She is a Southland horse and I got her off Gary Argyle,” Tomlison said. “My sister (Sheree Tomlinson) used to drive for him and one time Sheree couldn’t make her flight to Invercargill because of fog so I jumped on her and she ran fourth.

“A couple of months passed and it turned out that she was for sale. I thought she was handy enough so I thought I could get a win out of her, and it has turned out I have got two from her.”

Tomlinson currently has 23 wins to her name this season, the same tally as last term, where she won the New Zealand Junior Drivers Championship at Addington Raceway.

With that victory came a free service to Nevele R Stud stallion Marcoola, who is owned by Tomlinson’s grandfather, Ken Ford, and uncle, Clint Ford.

“When I won the junior champs last year, my Uncle Clint put up a free service for Marcoola for the winner,” Tomlinson said.

“I got this mare called No Way, who is the mother of (Group One performer) Alley Way and is related to Paul Nairn’s good three-year-old Outamyway, and she is due to foal down in November.”

While Tomlinson will partner Maudarchy on Friday, she has also picked up two outside drives, including Kayla Maguire in the Gregory Equine Covers And Saddlery Mobile Pace (2200m), and Brookies Jaffa in the Playground Creations Mobile Pace (2200m).

“Kayla Maguire is an in and out sort of mare,” Tomlinson said. “She seems to like the speed from just watching her previous wins in the amateur races, but I have been told by Sheryl (Wigg, trainer) that she has been working quite good, so we will have to see how we go.

“It is a step up in grade for Brookies Jaffa. It was a great win last week, but I don’t know if we are going to get the same run.”