Mowbray and Jones share Fillies heat win

It took an age to sort out, but in the end Delightful Peg (Bettor’s Delight) and Selsey Anne (Lather Up) couldn’t be separated in the first heat of the Nevele R/Macca Lodge Southern Oaks series at the Oamaru Harness Racing Clubs meeting today.

After a number of lead changes, Delightful Peg driven by Matthew Williamson settled into the one one with Selsey Anne and Sam Ottley on her back. Coming out of the last bend Williamson chanced his arm and went to the lead, but Selsey Anne came off her back and the two went to the line locked together.

DELIGHTFUL PEG – SELSEY ANNE REPLAY

“It’s a funny angle at Oamaru and it’s hard to know. You can never be certain when you’re sitting in the stand,” Brad Mowbray trainer of Delightful Peg said.

winning time was 2-25.1, a mile rate of 1-56.7 with the last 800 metres run in 56.1.

“Matty was pretty impressed with the way she left them at the top of the straight, whipped into it and how she stuck on right to the line.”

Delightful Peg is out of Elite Medley and is raced by Mowbray, his wife Mel and her mother Jenny Knight.

“We’ll be in the final for sure and whether we go in another heat – we’ll work that out when we get home.”

Delightful Peg was purchased for $20,000 at the yearling sales and is from a family the late Peter Marshall raced successfully with the Barron family.

“She’s a half to Major Medley the one that Amber’s (Amber Hoffman) got which goes a little bit rough but can run.”

Selsey Anne who’s raced by Grant Smith and trained by Mark Jones, last started at Ascot Park in October.

“She trialled three or four weeks ago, had a small hiccup and has gone in there without another trial so it was a good run actually. It was the best result getting the win and not getting points,” Jones said.

He says Smith has had a few offers for the filly but she’ll be staying in the barn and will probably head south to Wyndham for another Southern Oaks heat.

Selsey Anne is out of five win Art Major mare Ariadne Lavra.

“She was an extremely good mare but she broke down. I tried for eighteen months to two years to get her back and trained her for nothing, but she just keep breaking down. When she went to stud I asked Kypros (Kotzikas) if I could take the first foal (Minos).”

Minos won his first start at Gore as a two year old before he was sold to Australia where he’s on the $100,000 Golden Chalice at Bathurst. He also finished third in both the NSW and Queensland Derbys.

Eight year old trotting mare Who’s Queen (Majestic Son) also won for Jones.

“One of the owners bought her off Gavelhouse. She’s come from the beach and we’ve just trained her normally. She’s won three for us and she hasn’t finished yet.”

Jones says Who’s Queen is a clone of Sioux Princess which won eighteen races for the stable.

“Everything about her is exactly the same. You couldn’t get two more horses more similar”

Who’s Queen is owned by John McDonald.

“He’ll probably have a bit more fun with her in winter because she gets quite seasonal. As we get into the winter she should race a bit better.”

Meanwhile Jones is happy with the progress of two year old filly Queen Lizzy (Captaintreacherous) who qualified at Ashburton last week.

“We were supposed to have brought her down south (for the Caduceus Club of Southland /Alabar Fillies Classic) but her bloods weren’t good after the trial, so we had to back off. She’ll probably trial in two weeks and race in three. She’s a nice filly who’ll keep getting better and compete in the better races for sure.”

Queen Lizzy was purchased for $270,000 at last year’s NZB Standardbred Yearling Sale in Auckland.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink