Franco Marek NZ Cup bound
The Greg Manson trained Franco Marek booked his spot in this yearʻs New Zealand Cup field with a smart second placing in the Group 2 Canterbury Classic at Addington on the 27th of September.
Fresh up since placing in the Group 2 Superstars Championship back in April, Franco Marek began brilliantly from the stand and headed straight to the front.
Relegated to the trail when Whoʻs Delight went to the lead with 1300m to run, Franco Marek sprinted home strongly when the passing lane presented itself to grab second and a guaranteed start in the $1,000,000 feature.
Stakes placed in his last three starts, Franco Marek has won seven races, and a touch over $100,000 in career earnings.
By A Rocknroll Dance, the 6-year-old is out of the four-win McArdle mare Miss Lisa, who hails from the maternal family of the Group 1 NZ Standardbred Breeders Stakes winner and 1998 NZ Cup starter Adio Routine.
When Franco Marek takes his place on the second Tuesday in November, he will become the ninth individual Spreydon Lodge bred runner to do so.
Spreydon Lodgeʻs best result to date, breeding wise, was Franco Nelsonʻs second placing to Adore Me in 2014, with the Robert Dunn trained pacer just being pipped at the post by the champion mare.
The other New Zealand Cup starters bred by Spreydon Lodge are Ann Franco, Franco Enforce (3rd to Christian Cullen in 1998), Franco Heir, Franco Ledger, Franco Whisper, Nearea Franco and Thereʻs A Franco.
While a win by a Spreydon Lodge bred runner has proved elusive to date, Spreydon Lodgeʻs founder Wayne Francis did taste New Zealand Cup success as an owner when Stanley Rio won in 1976.
