FRANKSTON TIMES scoreboard
Scappare aiming for a treble By Ben Triandafillou UP and coming filly Scappare is looking to go three consecutive wins at Sandown next week after being scratched last Friday night at Cranbourne. Trainer Matt Laurie scratched the three-year-old after the Cranbourne racetrack was downgraded from a Good 4 to a Heavy 8 due to continued rain. “If it was a Dead 4, Dead 5 I would be happy to run Scappare but it got into the heavy range” said trainer Matt Laurie. “These faster horses with a low sprinting action don’t tend to handle those conditions. She’s better suited to a firmer surface.” Scappare has burst through to win her last couple of starts at Mornington for a combined margin of 4.8 lengths. Seated comfortably behind the leaders until using her quick turn of foot to dash to the front, Scappare has impressively put a gap between her and the rest of the field in her previous starts. Scappare is trained at Matt Laurie’s
35 acre Carringbush Park in Moorooduc on the Mornington Pennsula and often uses the Balnarring Beach to assist with recovery. After having early setbacks in her career due to the ‘thumps’, Scappare has recovered nicely and has started to hit the line strongly. “When she started she wasn’t going so well and pulled up sore after her first start, but has now gotten over the thumps and has become a true thoroughbred,” said part-owner John Ferguson. Now holding an impressive record of two wins and a minor placing from five starts, Scappare has taken her earnings to $26,475. Bred by Anacheva out of Prominent, Scappare has become Anacheva’s top progeny after winning her last start at Mornington over 1000m. Scappare is set to go through her classes and is hoping for another excellent run next Wednesday at Sandown.
McDonald brothers serve up success By Ben Triandafillou THE young duo, Alex and John McDonald, have cleaned up in the Frankston Summer Classic taking home both the under- 14s singles and doubles knockout tournaments. The Frankston Summer Classic on January 2nd run by the Better Tennis coaches was a three day tournament with about 150 entries, 36 of which were in the under-14 division. Alex was able to triumph in the singles winning five straight matches including a difficult 6-4 3-6 10-5 win in the singles, while John came out on top in the doubles defeating twin brother Alex, 6-3 6-3, with partner Neel Mohan. “We’ve played a lot of times against each other which is unfortunate but there’s no real rivalry between us, we are pretty good together” says Alex McDonald. The brothers also won the under-14’s Doubles at the Tennis Australia Gold Series Warrnambool Grasscourt JT & AMT Tournament on 31st December. In the final the pair got up to win against a tough, secondseeded opposition 7-5 6-1. “It’s good playing doubles. We are going well lately and made a few finals which is good” says Alex. Then on January 10, the McDonald brothers finished runners-up in the under-14’s doubles at the 2017 Margaret Court Cup in Albury against a strong fifthseeded opposition. With the support of the Mount Eliza Tennis Club coaches, the pair is determined to develop their skills and improve their game. “They’re there to learn, they want to get better and pretty much anything you throw their way they’ll give it a try” said Mount Eliza Tennis coach David Laird. Alex and John are coached twice a week at Mount Eliza by head coach Steve Foot and are assisted by their running coach Nathan Bonney to improve their agility and foot work. The McDonald brothers are avid to enhance their game often practising in their spare time. John even took it upon himself to only drink water during 2016, when asked how it was; John sarcastically replied, “It was great”. Alex and John McDonald are now preparing for their next few tournaments, including the North East Junior All Stars Classic in Wangaratta, hoping to keep their impressive start to the year going.
Interstate partnership for Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League By Ben Triandafillou THE Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League under-16 Boys and Youth Girls interleague teams will be playing the Northern Tasmanian Junior Football Association’s interleague teams in the first annual representative match over the Labour Day weekend in March. The MPJFL will be visiting Launceston for the beginning of what they hope to be a fantastic partnership with the NTJFA and a significant opportunity for the representative teams. The signing of an “In Principal” agreement between the two associations allows the MPJFL in conjunction with the NTJFA to conduct an annual representative match beginning in 2017. This interstate partnership will provide another great experience for the two teams on top of the traditional Regional Interleague matches in June. “This is a very exciting opportunity for our players to have the chance to play teams from Tasmania. Traditionally, we play the other Regional Interleague teams during the June long weekend, so it will be amazing to give our players another opportunity for representative football” says MPJFL President, Andrew Souter. “I am sure that with the support of all our MPJFL Clubs we can get this off the ground” The MPJFL and the NTJFA are hoping to utilise University of Tasmania’s stadium for the matches and are just waiting for feedback from management as to whether this is possible. The MPJFL as well as the NTJFA are seeking sponsors for the event from travel to food to accommodation for 60+ players and chaperones. This would be an exciting partnership opportunity for businesses to come on board.
Frankston Times 16 January 2017
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