Ruling Lobell highly rated after success

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34149, 10 May 1976, Page 8

Ruling Lobell highly rated after success

Ruling Lobell advanced her claims to be ranked the top two-year-old pacer of the season when she proved a class above her rivals in the D. F. Glanville Stakes at Addington Raceway on Saturday' night.

Ruling ’Lobell led for the last 1250 m and. without being seriously tested over the final stages of the race, she won by almost two lengths from Scottish Heath, which beat a strong finisher in Remorse by a short length.

! Kotare Charger, which led] ■ and then trailed Ruling Lobell, v. as only a neck further 1 back in fourth place, clear iof Michael’s Advice, which put in an amazing run to : finish so close up after a bad start. . . , , , Sapling showed his lack of! experience when he finished ninth. He broke at the start, almost broke after 200 m, rushed up to be fairly hand.

on the home turn, but began to shorten stride and he was not pushed. Rustic Zephyr, which started favourite, was slow early. He showed up wide out near the tai) of the field racing to the straight, but [broke under pressure. Ruling Lobell paced the 2000 m in 2:37.8, more than two seconds outside Noodlum’s New Zealand record, but quite a respectable time ; in the cold, blustery conditions. She took 1:1.8 for the i last 800 m, the opening 400 m of this section in 30. Ruling Lobell has now won three races for her Christchurch breeder, Mr Ben Grice, whose son, Des, trains her at Prebbleton. As usual, she was driven by Ivan Schwamm, who said he had mt intended to send her to the front on Saturday, but had been pushed out and decided to improve. Ruling Lobell, by Mark Lobell from Ruling Caste, has the $9OOO New Zealand Sapling Stakes at Ashburton on June 5 as her main mission during the remainder of the season but on Wednesday she will contest the Robin Dundee Stakes, a race for fillies in which Remorse will again be among her rivals. Ruling Lobell’s win earned her the "horse of the meeting” award made by sporting journalism. Placing in the New Zealand Oaks eight days earlier were reversed when Olga Korbut, third in the big

classic, finished Swift Princess in the Haughty Stakes. This time Olga Korbut began better and received the more favourable run.

She won most convincingly by a short length, with Bronze Queen, last racing to the 1000 m and wide later, a fair third after a break of seven lengths. Adio Charm; wa; right up fourth, shading. Billie Burke. The Oaks runner-up, Kiat-I ina, failed to flatterer and finished sixth after quite agap. Olga Korbut and Swift Princess will probably meet the colts and geldings in the Russley Stakes, a mobilestart race over 2600 m for three-year-olds. It is possible the race will be restricted to horses assessed at C2 and faster, and the field will include Bolton Byrd. Scottish Chat and Brenda Bell, both away from the winning list for more than 12 months, won the legs of the T.A.B. double. ' Scottish Chat, which had [not been successful since April of last year when Shelley Goudreau urged her to win on the night of the World Drivers’ Championship at Addington Raceway, got up in the last stride to shade Winning Smoke by half a head in the C. E. Hoy Stakes. It was a spectacular finish with less than two lengths covering the first nine to finish. Scottish Chat's win qualified her for the $3500 Autumn Stakes on Wednesday. Her win was long overdue. She had had nine placings from 24 previous starts this season and had looked unlucky. Lady Jess, which ran

about in the straight, was i only a head back third. Her! driver. Keith Powell, was fined $25 for causing minor interference to Show Day at the straight entrance. The favourite, Jascoe, met trouble at the start and finished at the rear. Prince Twinkle was slow away and [did well to finish ninth. ! The Hokitika-owned and [trained Brenda Bell, placed in nine of 17 other starts this season, was at odds of j almost 40-to-l when she won the Fanton Handicap. She fell from favour after three dismal showings in her latest racing. On Saturday she was handy all the way and drew away to win by more than a length from a bold finisher in Remlap. The pacemaker, Santoza, held on for a close third, ahead of Temple Bar, Atarau Lass and the favourite, Nigel Craig, which drifted at the start and later covered extra ground.

Charlie Wood and Carlton Chief provided one of the highlights of the night in the Burnside Handicap. Charlie Wood, which qualified A-grade on April 24, led throughout, but looked to be headed by Carlton Chief racing to the straight. First one and then the other of the pair looked to have a slight advantage, but, at the line, Charlie Wood had half a neck to spare.

A colt by Perfecto Hanover from Lucky Wood, he is trained at Ashburton by his part-owner, Doug McCormick. He paced the 3200 m in 1 4:19.7, a remarkable run in the conditions.