Racing: Masterly drive secures Dominion Handicap

Mark Jones drives Master Lavros (9) to victory in the Dominion Handicap at Addington yesterday.Picture / Getty Images

Mark Jones might feel guilty taking the training credit for yesterday's $250,000 Dominion Handicap but it was his drive that played just as important a role in Master Lavros's victory.

The giant trotter won his second Dominion in two years, his manners and Jones's perfect rating of him in front meaning Addington's greatest trot was over as a contest a long way from home.

Jones is the official trainer of Master Lavros but most of the work on him is done at the beach by Regan Todd.

"Regan deserves so many of the accolades because he really works him all the time," admitted Jones.

"I drive him in some fast work and workouts but Regan is the hands-on day-to-day man so this win is his."

While Jones was sharing the training credit he did a masterly job driving Master Lavros, reminding punters what an underused, at his own choice, driver the former world champ is.

He got Master Lavros away quickly and was soon challenging for the lead, which proved crucial as favourite Stent missed away.

That didn't cost Stent much ground but crucial field position, meaning Jones and Master Lavros could dictate the tempo of the race.

He did that perfectly, ambling through the first half of the 3200m group one before giving Master Lavros more rein progressively over the last lap, meaning when Stent did move he was using valuable energy.

That saw Stent parked and floundering at the 300m mark and left Alley Way to chase best as Master Lavros was clear from the 200m, giving Jones plenty of time for a rare whip flourish.

That indicated how much the victory meant to Jones after a rocky last 18 months with Master Lavros.

When he completed the Dominion-Rowe Cup double in May of last year he looked to have the trotting world at his hooves but arthritis issues last season robbed him of his best form, which is how he ended up spending so much time at the beach with Todd.

It also means that Master Lavros often goes to the races without heavy work under his belt, which eases the load on his troublesome joints but leaves him struggling for fitness.

Jones confirmed that to Herald readers in yesterday's paper, saying that he had piled the work into Master Lavros since his last start failure at Kaikoura and he hoped that his improved fitness and a fast beginning might be enough to beat Stent.

He was proved right.

Stent's early gallop no doubt cost him but it is hard to argue he would have beaten the winner, again raising the question of whether a hard 3200m at Addington is really his idea of a good time?

There was enough to like about the runs of Sheemon and a few others to suggest the trotting races at Alexandra Park and Cambridge over the summer are going to be outstanding, especially when you add in Tuesday's Free-For-All winner Monbet, who was allowed to miss yesterday's race.