The Star: October 31, 2023

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20 The Star Thursday October 26 2023 SPORTS NEWS brought to you by HURRY 25% OFF SUN fILTER ROLLER BLINDS AND INSECT SCREENS ORDER NOW FOR PRE CHRISTMAS INSTALL Curtains | Blinds | Shutters Unit 2 / 99 Sawyers Arms Rd 03 365 4666 or 0800 836 587 www.venluree.co.nz Premier tennis to bounce back after bad luck with weather • By Diane Keenan PREMIER TENNIS players are itching to get on court for their first premier interclub game of the summer season after bad weather has twice thwarted the season opening. After the opening week of play was washed out by rain, extreme wind conditions the following week and there was no play at Labour weekend, players could not be happier that Saturday’s forecast is for fine weather. “It has been a real shame that we haven’t been able to play so far this season,” said Elmwood premier women’s team captain Louise Oxnevad. “We all just want to get out on court.” Oxnevad and fellow Elmwood player Tessa McCann have a busy weekend of tennis ahead. Both will play for Kohimarama in the first round of Caro Bowl, Auckland’s premier interclub competition on Friday night before flying home the following morning in time for interclub against Cashmere at 1pm at Cashmere Courts. Kohimarama is drawn to play Royal Oak, which has Ruby Young, Cashmere’s top player, in its ranks. “It is possible that Tessa and Ruby could be playing interclub against each other twice this weekend,” says Oxnevad. Oxnevad, a former top New Zealand junior who grew up in Queenstown, is a welcome addition to Christchurch premier tennis, having joined Elmwood for its final two games last season. Oxnevad says she was fortunate to be coached by Lan Bale at the same time he was coaching a number of promising juniors including Ben and Riki McLachlan. Oxnevad was awarded a tennis scholarship and played college tennis while also studying architecture at California Polytechnic State University. After graduating, she worked in Sydney for several years before her shift to Christchurch where she now works as an architect. Her mother Felicity is also an accomplished representative player. Elmwood’s team is formidable with Abby Mason, McCann and Oxnevad as its top players. Jenny Blackburn, the captain of Cashmere’s premier women’s team, is also enthusiastic about a possible start to the season this weekend. “We want it to be a good competitive tie against Elmwood,” she said. Blackburn is a club stalwart for Cashmere and, with sister Heidi, played her junior tennis for the club. “We are really looking forward to playing a home game this weekend. Cashmere members always turn up to support us when we are playing at home.” Blackburn will be joined by Ruby Young, Ruby McPhail, Lily McHarg and Mandy Wilson. In other women’s match-ups, Shirley will host Waimairi, while last year’s competition winners Te Kura Hagley plays Bishopdale. Cashmere, last season’s competition winners, are at home to Bishopdale in the men’s competition. Players include the three Meredith brothers, Matt, Tim and James, along with Harry Weeds, Jonny McHarg – who returns this season from injury – Lucas Evans and Liam Barrett. Bishopdale will include Will Schneideman and Grayson Cullen. Elmwood, a team stacked with experience, will be a tough opponent for Te Kura Hagley, a team which is in a rebuilding phase. Elliot Darling is playing with brother Lawrence, Mid Canterbury coach Jack Tiller and Benji McGillivray for Elmwood, while Te Kura Hagley includes Pat Nolan and Ben Smith. Burnside Park, with club coach Remi Feneon at the helm and a talented lineup in Finn Emslie- Robson, Jordan Edwards, Liam Adams and Jamie Poole, will play at home against Edgeware Waimairi. The new competition format means there are now only three round-robin games to earn a place in the pre-Christmas semi-finals. EYE ON THE BALL: Louise Oxnevad, Elmwood premier women’s team captain, is looking forward to getting back on the court. Kobori clinches individual honours at Eisenhower Trophy championship PHOTO: GETTY CHRISTCHURCH golfer Kazuma Kobori has won the individual honours at the Eisenhower Trophy world amateur teams championship, leading New Zealand to a top-five finish in Abu Dhabi. Kobori is the second New Zealander to claim the top individual spot at the biennial global tournament, following Phil Tataurangi in 1992. The 21-year-old fired a brilliant seven-under 65 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, finishing with a chip-in on the 18th hole, helping the three-man New Zealand side to an eight-under team total in the final round and a vast improvement on their overall placing of 35th two years ago. Their tally of 23-under was good enough for equal fifth, 13 shots behind runaway winners the United States. Kobori, who battled illness for much of the week, said his game felt solid over the weekend. “I played really nicely over the last few days. I think I made a total of 16 birdies which is always fun,” he said. He shot 70, 70, 67 and 65 to seal the individual honours over US Amateur champion Nick Dunlop. It continues a brilliant year for Kobori, who has already won the Australian Amateur, the Western Amateur, and the US Elite Amateur Series. Taranaki’s Sam Jones shot the second counting score on Sunday, shooting a one-under 71, contributing to the team score for a third time, while Jayden Ford shot even in his final round. The trio head to Melbourne to compete in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship this week. – RNZ
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz Double for ‘Dobbie’ • By Jonny Turner Driver Ben Hope saluted as Muscle Mountain powered away COOL, CALM, and collected is from his rivals to win by a huge the only way to describe Olivia six-length margin. Thornley’s winning drive behind Like Thornley, Hope was superstar pacer Akuta in the wearing a black armband in Ashburton Flying Stakes on honour of Dobson. Monday. “I’m not one to do a salute, but Thornley set up the first leg I’m incredibly honoured to be of a winning double for the late driving this horse, and a huge Ian Dobson and his family as part of that is to Ian, and that Akuta strode to an easy win salute was for him.” just a matter of minutes before Muscle Mountain was Muscle Mountain took out the surprisingly beaten in his last Ashburton Trotters Flying Mile. start in the Canterbury Park Pulling on Ian ‘Dobbie’ Trotting Cup. Dobson’s green colours to drive The classy trotter showed he the New Zealand Cup favourite was right back on track with his put all eyes firmly on Thornley in BIG SMILES: Olivia Thornley donned Ian Dobson’s colours emphatic win on Monday. the cup’s most important race. to drive Akuta to success in the Flying Stakes. “There’s a few doubters out And she took it all in her would be happy.” Rasmussen. there, but we know we’re going to stride, while honouring Dobson Thornley moved up to sit Purdon, along with son and have him tip-top on Dominion in the process. parked before any serious pace training partner Nathan, put day, and today I just wanted to “It meant a lot to get the win, went into the race, and from their trust in Thornley on prove to people that he still has especially with the passing of there, her four-year-old delivered Monday, and she repaid that to be respected.” ‘Dobbie’,” Thornley said. a first-over crush. faith with a calculated drive. There were plenty more In a straggly old start to the “The horsepower he has, you “It is amazing, I am so grateful outstanding performances on Ashburton Flying Stakes, Akuta can put him anywhere in a race, to them for putting me on. Monday’s huge afternoon of was safely into stride but left well and he just relaxes, and when “I am just rapt to be able to harness racing at Ashburton. back in the field. you ask him to go, he just keeps repay the faith.” Cold Chisel and “Going into the race all that trying,” the reinswoman said. Dobson’s colours were back in Aardiebytheseaside ran to mattered was I stepped – it Thornley was thrust into the the winner’s circle just two races excellent Sires Stakes heat wins, didn’t matter how fast or slow,” spotlight this week following later when Muscle Mountain while Aardies Express and Thornley said. the suspension of Mark Purdon powered to victory in the green Sooner The Bettor were also big “So long as I took off pacing, I and unavailability of Natalie Cullen Racing silks. winners. – HRNZ Muscle Mountain proves too good once again • By Michael Guerin NOBODY WOULD have begrudged driver Ben Hope the rarest of all racing celebrations at Ashburton if he had had the audacity to launch into a double whip salute. Hope restricted himself to just one though as Muscle Mountain strode to one of the easiest wins of his career in the What The Hill Trotters Sprint, the salute dedicated to the great trotter’s late owner Ian Dobson. Dobson showed faith in Hope when many others lacked it, allowing him to drive Muscle Mountain throughout his career when he could easily have opted for a more experienced driver. Hope and Muscle Mountain have grown up together so ‘Dobbie’ deserves his salute to cap a poignant day for his family after Akuta’s win earlier. But Hope also would have been justified in saluting again, this time as the exclamation mark on a win Muscle Mountain needed to regain maximum respect. He cost himself his previous start at Addington when he was divebombed by Oscar Bonavena, and his tendency to shut off late was going to start costing him far bigger races if he didn’t get it out of his system. So Team Hope opted for slide HOPE: Muscle Mountain regained respect, with trainers opting for slide down blinds and controlled aggression. down blinds and controlled aggression and now Muscle Mountain is back as king of trotting’s castle, his fear factor re-established. “I might have been a bit easy on him in front a few times, but it is time to start driving him like the best horse,” says Hope. If that re-ignites Muscle Mountain’s home straight desire then he has the potential to go to another level. He is already one of our best ever trotting sprinters and now the Dominion beckons, with him potentially giving Bolt For Brilliance a start in what will be one of the great highlights of cup week. Muscle Mountain’s win was his third straight in the Trotters Sprint and his 1:54.5 mile rate for the 1700m was slick enough on a track holding plenty of top. Smokin Bandar looked happy to be home with a super second and Time Up The Hill roared into third, another emotionfilled placing with the mare’s connection to regular driver Katie Cox as the industry rallies around her. Oscar Bonavena could manage only fourth, coming to the end of his run after looming at the top of the straight. – HRNZ Thursday October 26 2023 The Star RACING 21 The best of the rest Ashburton • By Michael Guerin MONDAY’S Ashburton meeting was one of the strongest harness racing programmes of the season and the best form guide to New Zealand Cup week. Here is what unfolded in the other features outside of the two open class races: Race 4, Two-Year-Old Pacing Fillies: Treacherous Love continued the great recent run of North Island-trained horses at the south’s biggest meetings when she bolted away for trainer Brent Mangos. She went straight to the front and driver Ricky May got away with a very slow early section before she blasted up the straight in 26.5 seconds for her last 400m. Already the winner of the Delightful Lady Final she headed home a trifecta for pacing’s new rave stallion Captaintreacherous. Race 5, Two-Year-Old Pacing Boys: Favourite Vessem worked hard early but Cold Chisel still worked hard and over-powered him so now must rate as our best male juvenile pacer, albeit it in an even crop. Race 6: Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies: The biggest talking point out of the race was the scratching of Millwood Nike, who was unbeaten in 15 and still is. She got kicked by another horse so didn’t start and Aardiebytheseaside was the major beneficiary after working early, then copping a trail and holding out the luckless Treacherous Gal. Race 7, Three-Year-Old Trot: Star trainer of trotters Phil Williamson thought Aroha Kenny was his best three-year-old trotter but Isolate is making a strong case to change his mind. The big, fast and raw daughter of former age group star Escapee, Isolate gave most of our better three-year-old trotters a start and the go by in a 1:56.6 mile rate for 1700m. The big improver out of the race and the horse to beat in the NZ Trotting Derby on December 10 is Confessional. Race 8: Three-Year-Old Pacing Boys: Tony moved at the right time on Cold Chisel earlier in the card and again on Sooner The Bettor in this race to comprehensively beat two Dunn racing runners in Triple G and Who’s Delight. These horses all have two problems blocking their future pathways in every major race: Don’t Stop Dreaming and Merlin, who will be favourites when this crop get to their NZ Derby. Race 10, Aged Pacing Mares: Aardie’s Express sat four wide for the first half of the race and won so easily she could have sat four wide the entire 1700m and she still would have won. She rated 1:52.6 for the 1700m and looks well capable of breaking 1:50 if she makes it to Menangle in March.
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