Tee Ball gets home run

After building a consistent form line, Tee Ball (Captaintreacherous) got the job done last night at Addington when he easily won the Garrards Horse and Hound Pace.

From a mid-row draw, driver Robbie Close got Tee Ball away well and he was driven through to take the lead before setting up a solid pace. At the top of the straight he had a three length gap on the chasing bunch and won easily by three and three quarter lengths from Bella Ciao.

TEE BALL REPLAY

“Robbie said he was very sharp, but he had to pull the plugs after 200 metres because he’d go, then he’d start mucking around. He said he kept him up on the bit the whole way,” said Jack Best who trains the gelding with his mother Anne-Marie.

The win was a just reward for the three year old, who had finished second in his previous two starts.

“He had a wee break the time before at Rangiora, but that was probably my fault for having the hopples too long. He’s had a very good prep. Those first two trials were very good and he’s been very consistent.”

Jack said one person has shown interest in buying the gelding, but Anne-Marie told the prospective purchaser a definitive no.

“She does all the work with him. She jogs him, she’s got a bond with him and it works. I’m hoping he’ll progress into those nice three year old races. By first plan this prep was Sires’ Stakes but it didn’t pan out, so we just went to plan B. As you could probably see from last night he’s going to be a better four year old.”

Anne-Marie paid $95,000 for Tee Ball at the 2024 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales in Christchurch.

“We went to look at the trotter we were going to buy (Taimate Hill) and he wasn’t there. Mum walked past Tee Ball and she looked at him and he looked at her. Then Mark Jones came over. Anne-Marie asked him about the horse and he told her he thought the colt wanted to go home with her (laughter).”

Jack said his mother thought about the decision overnight.

“She said to me ‘I’m going to go buy that horse.”

Paul Smith of East West Fencing, a friend of the family, expressed an interest in buying into the colt if Anne-Marie was the successful bidder and the rest is history.

“He rang me straight away and said he and his mate Ox would take forty percent of him. I don’t know his real name but that’s Ox’s first horse and he was pretty chuffed last night.”

Tee Ball was bred by Owen Shaw and Mark and Pauline O’Connor and is out of their good Presidential Ball mare Shezaball, which makes him a half brother to Cold Chisel, the winner of six races and over $350,000. His major wins were the NZB Standardbred Harness Million as a two year old and the G1 Northern Derby.

“It took him a while to find his gait. He was a very relaxed horse and was always wanting to do it.”

After qualifying at Ashburton in November last year Tee Ball had his first start at Addington ten days later, finishing fourth.

“He jumped around a bit and was hitting his knee. John Dunn (driver) said to me it felt better than it looked.”

Meanwhile the Best’s eight win trotter The Present Maker (The Pres) is back on the active list.

He won his last three starts prior to Christmas, including the Listed Ashburton Engravers Mobile Trot at Ashburton which he won by four lengths.

“He had a wee operation in February. He had a ten percent chip on the sesamoid. He’s had a month in a box and two months in a small paddock. Lindsay (vet Lindsay Cowell) came back last week and x-rayed the leg, we trotted him up and signs are very good. He’s at Brian Courts at the moment on the water walker.”

The Present Maker has had a hitchy gait throughout his short career.

“When you look at him you think, is he going to break? Looking back we think he had that fracture there for a while and he’s raced with it. He also had an abscess on his front foot when he won that listed race.”

The Bests hope to have The Present Maker back racing for Cup Week.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink