Rangiora trainer Andrew Stuart has prospects on both sides of the Tasman this week with Miss Moonlite at Melton tomorrow and Mr Chrome at Addington on Friday night.
Mr Chrome won at Rangiora on Sunday. He will have a change of driver with Mark Jones replacing Robert Butt, who has been suspended until August 26. He received the penalty after being found guilty of making a false and misleading statement to a stipendiary steward in regard to how Miss Claudia Rose punctured a sulky tyre at the Ashburton meeting on June 6. He was also fined $400.
Jones has driven Mr Chrome in three of his six wins, including the Riverton Cup at Invercargill in October. Mr Chrome has won three times at Addington.
Miss Moonlite is in the consolation of the Australasian Breeders' Crown at Melton.
"We were disappointed to miss getting into the final but were thrilled with her run in the semifinal on Friday night," Stuart said from Melbourne.
"It was only the draw that beat her. She came from last and was forced wide."
John Caldow has retained the drive on Miss Moonlite, who has drawn the outside of the front line tomorrow.
Craig Thornley was pleased with the work of Franco Lordship yesterday in preparation for the 3yr-old final of the Breeders' Crown. He has been in charge of the Steven McRae-trained Franco Lordship, who is in a final at Melton on Sunday. Franco Lordship ran fifth in a semifinal last Friday won by Sushi Sushi. Thornley was due back in Christchurch yesterday. He will drive Franco Lordship and Franco Jamar on Sunday.
His partner, Joanne Burrows, has Indrah and Another Player coming to hand. Both horses were successful after joining the stable last season. Indrah won the Roxburgh Cup in January. Another Player won five races after being bought by Peter Chambers from Rangiora owner-trainer Gavin Mills.
Jumanji Franco has been retired. She is due to foal to Muscles Yankee in December.
She won three races and took a mile record of 1.59.6 when trained by Burrows. The CR Commando mare won the New Zealand Trotting Stakes as a 2yr-old for McRae.
• The Superstars Championship has been transferred from October to late March by the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club.
The group two race for 4yr-old pacers will be run from the mobile gate.
"We have found in recent years that 3 and 4yr-olds have been coming back into work later for the Harness Jewels and other big races so the Superstars will now be a lead-up race for the Jewels and the Messenger," Shane Gloury, the chief executive of the NZMTC, said.
A trainer, who did not wish to be named, said he was upset the announcement was not made earlier as he had a horse in work specifically for the Superstars.
The race was first staged in September 1982 when it was won by Glen Lustre, driven by Bob Nyhan for owner-trainer Royce Court. Glen Lustre was the 11-11 favourite in a 12-horse field and paid $77.10 to win.
Christian Cullen (1998) and Mainland Banner (2005) have won the Superstars-New Zealand Cup double in the same year. Christopher Vance (1990), Just An Excuse (2002) and Changeover (2007) are other Superstars winners to carry on to win the New Zealand Cup.
Just An Excuse, Mainland Banner and Changeover all came off a 20m handicap in the Superstars. Franco Emirate started from 10m when he won last year.
• Karen O'Connor was suspended until August 26 inclusive for excessive use of the whip on Datmymulligan in the run home at Rangiora on Sunday.
• Jockey Glen Colless has declared his fitness to resume riding following a bout of vertigo, AAP reports.
Colless, who has five rides at Eagle Farm today, visited his doctor on Monday to gain a riding clearance after dizziness and blurred vision forced him to stand down after fulfilling one riding engagement at Eagle Farm last Saturday.
He was out of action after a fall from Favours Traded at Doomben on July 6.
"I was sidelined for a few weeks with vertigo after the fall," Colless said.
"It's hard to explain but I was a bit dizzy and had no sense of balance.
