Marcoola can continue Ford family's magic season

Clint Ford is more than happy to cop a couple of bites a day from his star trotter Marcoola.

So long as the $1.15 favourite for the three-year-old Ruby at Saturday's Harness Jewels keeps winning Group I events, Ford reckons he can handle the Sundon​ colt lashing out with his pearly whites.

The emergence of Marcoola has been one of the stories of the season and he has already locked away three-year-old trotter of the season regardless of what happens on Saturday.

Marcoola has won the Northern Trotting Derby (Group I), Trotters Champs (Group II) and the New Zealand Trotting Derby (Group I) in his last three starts.

"It's pretty cool, it's been a dream ride, amazing really," Ford said of the star trotter who is unbeaten in his last seven starts.

The rapid rise of Marcoola is a massive thrill for Ford, who does all the work with him, but he gets just as much pleasure from seeing his father Ken celebrated as Marcoola's trainer.

"It's a real family affair and we all enjoy each other's success," Ford said

Marcoola, who will wear the yellow Harness Jewels colours as the top money earner for the season, will move into barrier four, presuming emergency Sea Eyre comes out.

Ford said he will take a wait and see approach off the mobile arm but he gives the impression he will be heading to the front and handing up to nobody.

The only time he has pressed forward with any conviction was in the Sires Stakes Trotting Prelude back in February when he matched it with the lightning quick Conon Bridge.

"I think if I really tried I probably could have got the lead off him that night but I knew Bob (Butt) was not going to hand up so I pulled back and got on his back."

Marcoola has handled the trip north with ease and impressed Ford with a quiet trial at Pukekohe on Saturday behind Paramount Dream over 2050m.

He came off the back of Paramount Dream to finish within a neck of the four-year-old Ruby runner who trotted the last quarter in 29.5.

Marcoola has not been to Cambridge but that holds no concerns for Ford.

"He's a pretty level headed sort of horse and he's in familiar surroundings after his last trip up here."

The Ford family are no strangers to a Group I winning three-year-old.

Zuri​, who went on to win 12 races for more than $175,000, was the winner of the 2004 Group I Trotting Derby and was runner-up in the Northern Derby.

Ford said there are comparisons between the pair but there seems to be something special about Marcoola.

"Zuri probably didn't have the x-factor that this guy has. He won three-year-old trotter of the year but he didn't run the times that this guy can."

In the modern era, where you need a bank to purchase one of the best bred lots at the sales, the Marcoola story of being bred by the Ford family at their West Melton property is refreshing.

He is the first offering from the former Ken Ford-trained mare Arabess​, who won three from 46 and finished seventh in the two-year-old Ruby in 2009.

"I always thought he had a bit of potential from the time I broke him in," Clint Ford said.

A trip across the Tasman for the postponed New South Wales Trotters Derby (now on July 16) and the Breeders Crown has entered Ford's mind but he is not giving it any serious thought until after the Jewels.

Ford and his father have turned down massive money for Marcoola because he is essentially part of the family but the possibility of a lucrative stud career is also part of the decision to retain him.

"There's not many Sundon colts or stallions about and this joker has got that on one side and the other side is Lyell Creek so that's what I've always had in the back of my mind for him," Ford said.

If Marcoola can win the Jewels it will be a fitting way to end a New Zealand season of almost unbelievable proportions for the Ford family.

It started back in late September when Ken Ford brought up his 100th training win with a treble at Banks Peninsula – highlighted by Zachary Binx's win in the Group III DG Jones Trotting Cup.

All three winners where driven by his daughter Amanda Tomlinson, including first starter Amaretto Sun who lines up in the four-year-old Ruby on Saturday.

In November, Zane Tomlinson (son of Amanda) won the Kidz Kartz New Zealand Trotting Cup.

In January, Sheree Tomlinson (daughter of Amanda) drove her first winner which came with Little Mo, trained by her grandfather Ken, at Oamaru.

In May, Tomlinson and Sheree won both races for invited women drivers at Timaru​.

Also in May, Tomlinson's other daughter Kerryn​ won the Kidz Kartz Lizzie of Rossland Drivers Challenge.

Matt Kermeen