Russell Galleon recorded 2.52.7 which bettered the 2.56.5 set by Sundon's Choice at Alexandra Park in 2001. The time for Russell Galleon was 4.2sec inside the Forbury Park track record set by Escapee last year.
Russell Galleon, who was having his third start, is trained by Phil Williamson for Billy Heads, of Waimumu, and Gary Allen, of Wellington. Heads qualified Russell Galleon at Wyndham on February 22. He sent the gelded son of Quite Easy and Galleons Conspiracy to Williamson with a view to the Harness Jewels.
Russell Galleon won a non-totalisator race at Forbury Park on March 8.
Russell Galleon is the first foal of Galleons Conspiracy, who qualified as a trotter as a 2yr-old for Hamish Hunter. The daughter of Malabar Maple was unplaced in six starts at 2 and 3.
She was then passed to Heads, who had two placings with her at workouts.
"She just wouldn't do things right and I asked Gary if I could get a foal out of her. He suggested we go half shares," Heads recalled. Russell Galleon is her first foal.
The semen of American stallion Quite Easy was available for one season in New Zealand.
Williamson said he would pursue a start in the Sires' Stakes race on May 12 with Russell Galleon.
• Alchemist set a track record for a 3yr-old over 1700m (mobile) when she convincingly won the heat of the Sires' Stakes for fillies in 2.03, a 1.56.5 mile rate.
She bettered the mark of 2.03.1 set by Smiling Star in a heat of the Sires' Stakes for colts and geldings in October. The 2yr-old Charge Forward has the Forbury Park track record for all ages of 2.02.6.
Smiling Star, the winner of three of his five starts and placed in two others, has resumed work with trainer Robbie Holmes. He has been withdrawn from the Harness Jewels.
He was spelled in December to recover from a sprained tendon.
He will be walked for the first month of a fresh preparation.
• Terrorway, the former Otago pacer, remained unbeaten in 11 starts when he lasted to win the group two $A50,000 Renshaw Cup at Penrith on Thursday night.
Terrorway won his six races when trained at Westwood Beach by Graeme Anderson and Amber Hoffman. He was sold in July and joined the Cobitty (New South Wales) stable of Luke McCarthy.
The Western Terror gelding has recorded his other four wins over a mile at Menangle with a best time of 1.53.3.
