One-night affair with Lazarus
A spot of last minute Christmas shopping almost cost Sue Barrington the chance to race potentially one of Australasia’s all time great pacers.
The Palmerston North women was the winner of a promotion, made possible by the generosity of Lazarus’ owners, that saw her hold a 10 per cent share in the star pacer for the McMillan’s Waikato Flying Mile at Cambridge on Friday night.
Lazarus’ one and three quarter length win in the $60,000 race netted Barrington $2,550 but the once in a lifetime experience out weighed collecting her owners cheque.
‘‘It was an amazing experience, a night to remember,’’ Barrington said.
But Barrington has revealed it was an almost an opportunity that she missed out on.
She was on course at Cambridge for the Christmas eve meeting and filled in the entry form to own Lazarus for a night when he raced in the Flying Mile.
With a large crowd at the meeting, all hoping to hear their name drawn, Barrington did not give the competition a second thought when she left the course early to pick up a couple of last minute Christmas presents.
The winner only had 15 minutes to claim their prize before a redraw and Barrington will be forever grateful that she managed to get back to the presentation area with only seconds remaining.
‘‘I got back there with literally less than a minute to spare. It was a bit like a fairytale.’’
Donating the share was the brainchild of Trevor Casey, who races Lazarus with Kevin Riseley, Phil and Glenys Kennard.
‘‘The owners were all amazing, lovely people. They made sure I was the one holding the cup, they were fantastic,’’ Barrington said.
Barrington is not a stranger to harness racing, but she is no tragic either.
A friend of Cambridge trainer Colin Butler, she often follows his horses and although the name Lazarus sounded familiar, she was blissfully unaware the horse she was racing for the night, could go onto be one of the all time greats.
‘‘People were saying to me before the race you’re money is safe because he was expected to win.’’
Barrington was so impressed by the calm nature of the four-yearold entire, she was uncertain if he would have enough fire in his belly.
‘‘When I went down to see him before the race, I couldn’t believe what a quiet horse he was. He was so calm and casual I was thinking how can this horse win?
‘‘I’ve been around stallions before and people usually stand by them to make sure they don’t bite anyone or do anything silly but he was as calm as anything.’’
‘‘He’s truly an amazing horse,’’ she said.
Barrington said the thrill of being a winning owner was something she would never forget, but admitted to feeling anxious before and during the race.
‘‘When he was going around I was really nervous,’’ Barrington said.
‘‘When you put a bet on you get a little nervous, but this was much worse.’’
Racing Lazarus might have been a one night affair, but the 10 length New Zealand Trotting Cup winner has won a new fan in Barrington.
‘‘I’ll be watching him when he goes to Australia that’s for sure,’’ she said.
Daryl Boko won his first race in New Zealand when winning the Group III Trotters Flying Stakes for trainer Tim Butt, but such is Lazarus’s pulling power he stole the show on Friday night.