Tokyo Rose wins Fruit Bowl

The Sangster Electrical Fruit Bowl at Cromwell today turned into a bit of a fruit salad.

It took three attempts to get the race underway. The third attempt was also messy and robbed of some of its interest when Always On Sale appeared to shy at the tape release turning sideways and wrecking the chances of favourite Pinseeker who was pulled out of the race.

However at the end of the 2600 metre harness racing feature it was Tokyo Rose (Captaintreacherous) trained by Mark Jones that came out on top.

Once the field was finally away from the start line, driver Blair Orange slotted Tokyo Rose into the one one.
With 700 metres to run and with other runners starting to improve, Orange shot his mare round the field and got her rolling for home at a good clip. At the line she was four and three quarters of a length in front of second placegetter Homebush Lad.

TOKYO ROSE REPLAY

“We got all the favours in the one one and did no work, so it was the perfect trip for us. She can hold her speed for a long way. She’s got a high cruising speed and he drove her perfectly as you’d expect from him (laughter),” Jones said.

Tokyo Rose raced on Friday (the first day of the Cromwell meeting) running second to Ebury Street. Having raced the mare over two days at Blenheim twelve months ago, Jones was confident she’d back up.

“She won both days and probably went just as good on the second day. I was pretty confident she would back up today.”

The win was the five year old’s seventh and fifth on the grass but Jones says her future lies in Australia.

“She’s probably going to head to Menangle shortly with the mile racing over there for mares. She’s getting up in the grades here so it’s not going to be easy. She’ll race there for twelve to eighteen months and then we’ll bring her back in foal. She’ll love the mile, she’s quick off the gate. A good mile is a good stayers race. She’ll go 1-50 no worries.”

To round out the day Tact Teena won the last race for Jones with driver Sam Ottley at the reins.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink