B D Joe team daring to dream

The team behind B D Joe (Roll With Joe) can dare to dream of winning New Zealand’s greatest race after their star pacer’s brilliant harness racing win in the $50,000 Group Two NZB Airfreight Ashburton Flying Stakes (2400m).

The NZB Standardbred graduate showed all of the speed, power and poise required to win a New Zealand Cup when powering to victory on Monday for trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer and driver Benjamin Butcher.

B D Joe was secured for $65,000 at the 2019 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch by Stonewall Stud from Laura Smith’s draft.

The pacer made a brilliant beginning for Butcher, with the pair soon leading Monday’s NZB Airfreight sponsored feature.

B D Joe and Australian star Rock N Roll Doo (Rock N Roll Heaven) went toe-to-toe around the home turn, with the Telfer trained star pulling out all of the stops required to beat a star-studded field.

“He has gone super, when the Aussie horse came up beside him he really got up and got into his work,” Butcher said.

“He has hit the line, I’m ecstatic.

“He is doing everything right at the moment, the lead up has been great and he is really starting to peak like we need him to.”

Monday’s NZB Airfreight Ashburton Flying Stakes was the last stop off before next month’s Group One New Zealand Cup for B D Joe.

Winning the great race would be realising a harness racing dream for the team behind B D Joe.

“That is everyone’s dream in the game,” Butcher said.

“With the way he is coming into it with these wins, I am hopeful.

“It is still another race and you have still got to hope for a draw and you have still got to hope everything goes right on the day.

“But with the way everything has been going, I am pretty positive.”

With the oldest graduates only four years of age this season, NZB Standardbred alumni will compete in the New Zealand Cup for the first time in 2022.

Stonewall Stud will have a two-pronged attack on the great race with confirmed starter Alta Wiseguy (Mach Three) producing a fast-finishing fourth behind his stablemate B D Joe in the NZB Airfreight Ashburton Flying Stakes.

B D JOE REPLAY

Rock N Roll Doo, Akuta (Bettor’s Delight), Krug (Bettor’s Delight) Hot And Treacherous (Captaintreacherous) have all been ranked in the New Zealand Cup’s top 15 starting spots.

Fellow NZB Standardbred graduates The Falcon (Bettor’s Delight), Got You Covered and Tommy Waterhouse (American Ideal) are close behind them and are still able to qualify for the time-honoured event.

From NZB Standardbred