Mark wins with Mark My Words (updated)

Burnham harness racing trainer Mark Jones is happy to admit that Mark My Words (Sweet Lou) has made a liar out of him.

Jones said before the horse debuted at Addington two weeks ago that he was an average maiden and he’d be surprised if she ran top three that night. But going out as the favourite, Mark My Words duly won by two and a half lengths.

“Like I said you wouldn’t get excited about him around home and you would think he’d struggle to win one. It’s good when they make a liar of you in that way. He’s not the smoothest of pacers but probably the quicker he goes the better he is. I think he’ll be quite a nice horse round Christmas time,” he said.

And today at Ashburton, hometown of his young owner Peter Summerfield, he continued on his winning way.

MARK MY WORDS REPLAY

“He (Peter) owns an electrical business in Ashburton. He was here today with his family. He’s had a few horses with me and sold them all. And this guy will probably get sold but he’s enjoying racing him at the moment.”

In today’s race driver Sam Ottley secured the one one with Let’s Go Ringo (Sportswriter) leading. Ottley got the gelding out and running just before the home bend and came three wide turning in. The horse still had three lengths to catch up to the leader but kept coming down the centre of the track to get up in the last stride to win by a nose from Let’s Go Ringo.

Mark My Words (6) just getting there – Photo Race Images

Winning connections – Photo Race Images

“He’s a laid back horse at home but he definitely knows when it’s race day, I’ll give him that. He tries hard and he wanted to win. That was the main thing. He’s got a big ugly head, so it was good he got that in front of the other horse at the right time.”

Mark My Words was part of the Studholme Bloodstock draft at the 2021 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sale in Christchurch and was purchase by Auric Limited for $27,500.

“Peter bought the horse after the Sales. I advised him not to buy and he went against me, so he was a better judge than me. The horse was a giant yearling, and that year the Sweet Lous weren’t really wanted. It just shows we’re all not perfect judges.”

Out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Quote Me which won six races in Australia, Mark My Words is a half-brother to Beyond Words (Art Major) which won five of her nine starts before she was purchased by American Richard Poillucci. Her lifetime stats are now forty eight starts for twelve wins and nineteen places for $96,490.

Sam Ottley has now driven 202 winners for Jones. Currently on 691, she’s fast closing in on her 700th lifetime winner.

“She’s been the mainstay for us for quite a while now and she makes my job easy, to sit in the stand and watch them. She’s a good worker round the stables and she drives the horses every day and knows their ins and outs. Her record speaks for itself. She’s up there with the better drivers.”

Jones is having a great season with forty five wins on the board and he’s currently sitting in second place in the New Zealand Trainers Premiership.

“I pride myself on placing the horses pretty good and trying to find the right races. We’ve found two good races for this guy and made him look good. So that’s part of my job really.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink