Lizzie L’Amour crushes rivals
IT’S been a memorable 24 hours in the decorated racing career of Cambridge horseman Murray Baker.
On Friday evening, he was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame and he celebrated his inclusion in style on Saturday afternoon when he produced Lizzie L’Amour for a dazzling victory in the Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa.
“She’s flying at the moment and she won that pretty easily,” said Baker, who trains with Andrew Forsman. “She’s been right in form ever since she came back from Australia, things just didn’t work out for her there.”
Lizzie L’Amour failed to fire in four spring appearances in Melbourne but she’s turned it around at home with a first-up win in the Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) before runner-up finishes in the Zabeel Classic (2000m) and the Westbury Classic (1400m).
The Zabeel mare raced close to the pace at Te Rapa before rider Matt Cameron allowed her to amble closer three wide across the top. They took control 250m from home and drew clear effortlessly to beat Windflower and the winner’s stablemate Nicoletta took third.
“She has a nomination for the Auckland Cup, but I think she’ll go to the Bonecrusher instead,” Baker said.
“We’ll put in a nomination for the Queen Elizabeth in Sydney and see how long she holds up – she’s certainly in great touch at the moment.”
Nicoletta made the running and she fought on gallantly in the run home.
“It was a terrific run from a stud point of view,” Baker said. “She’s a Group Three winner and Group One placed, she’s probably done enough.”
Lizzie L’Amour has now won seven of her 19 starts and she has been ridden in both of her Group One victories – her first was in the New Zealand Stakes (2000m) - by Cameron.
“She’s a star and she’s got better as she’s got older,” he said. “She’s a pleasure to ride and when they win like that it’s a bit special.’’
A wet Te Rapa had the connections of Start Wondering in a sombre pre-race mood, but New Zealand’s reigning champion sprinter didn’t let the rain dampen his parade.
The Wanganui seven-year-old overcame the Slow 9 going on Saturday to successfully defend his title in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).
“Any Group One win is special, but we weren’t expecting it today,” said Evan Rayner, who trains the gelding with his daughter JJ at Wanganui.
“It rained all the way up here and he’s struck some terrible tracks this time around, but he handled it better than I thought at Auckland so we decided to run.”
Fourth in the Gr.1 Railway at Ellerslie when caught in the slowest part of the course, Start Wondering settled in behind the pace before striding to the front 200m from home for regular jockey Johnathan Parkes.
“It’s amazing – when it rained we thought we didn’t have a show,” JJ Rayner said. “It was a great ride by Johnathan.”
The gelding dug deep in the final stages to keep the challenge of Packing Eagle at bay with the longshot Brilliant Shine taking third money ahead of Ronchi.
Last season, Start Wondering finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Haunui Farm WFA Classic (1600m) after his Te Rapa success and he is again likely to head to the Otaki feature.
The disappointment of Saturday’s race was the warm favourite Kawi, who was gunning for the eighth Group One victory of his career.
However, he was on the back foot early after he missed the start before he picked up ground 600m from home. The son of Savabeel was widest into the straight, but he was never a threat in the run home and finished sixth.