Lord Module’s earnings pass $250,000 mark

Press, 2 March 1981, Page 24

Lord Module’s earnings pass $250,000 mark

By

PAUL MEIN

It has been a long and trying 10 months. Lord Module ended a prolonged losing drought and rocketed his stake earnings to over a quarter of a million dollars by winning the $5OOO Flying Mlle at Timaru on Saturday.

Lord Module was last successful at Auckland in May last year, beating Tay Bridge and Delightful Lady in New Zealand record time in the 2200 m Lewis Memorial. Since then it has been a chapter of setbacks. Quarter cracks, bannings, Lord Module put them all behind him on Saturday. The six-year-old is now the winner of 28 races and $251,370, a total which includes the stake from his Inter-Dominion heat win last year in Australia and $lO,OOO for his record Imin 54.9 s time trial at Addington in January. The field for S.-.'.urday’s mobile mile was far from star-studded, but Lord Module’s effort was a fine one, an encouraging sign of things to come.. ; Jack Smolenski, who teamed up with the champion shortly before the Cup

meeting in November, was trapped three wide with Lord Module for the first 500 m, received some, coyer when Philippa Frost improved down the back, but set parked out when Fred Fletcher’s filly skied to the lead 600 m out. Lord Module seemed under som° pressure on the turn, but rallied down the straight, and after a short tussle with Philippa Frost won going away by a length and a quarter in Imm 59.95, after sprinting the final 400 m in 295. Philippa Frost also, went a much improved race. The plucky little five-year-old tried to lead them for the last 600 m, looked to have Lord Module covered shortly after they straightened, and only went ’down inside the final 50m.-. <. The Raider was third two lengths away, finishing on after leading 900 m out, then

trailing Philippa Frost from the 600 m. Trevor Hodgen made ground from the rear group for fourth with Flaxton fifth and Rocky Tryax a so-s o sixth. , , “I only hope she keeps improving. Then Auckland can have its queen and Canterbury can have its princess,” a delighted Peter Boag remarked after his mare, Unique Princess had done the best in a torrid foursided finish to Saturday’s Timaru Cup. Unique Princess may never win an Auckland Cup, let alone two, but she showed enough on Saturday to suggest that there are a few wins more in store for the daughter of Good Chase and Unique Song. The Ashburton-tramed five-year-old came fast from midfield to join a line of four, with Braemar, Seafield

Rose and ’ Cousteau, as the field headed for homey ■' • Johnny Balbo added more interest t0..-.the finish .by joining in wider out- over the final 300 m. v Unique Princess lasted best however, with Braemar, three back on the fence mostly, a half a neck away second, a half a neck in front of Cousteau and Seafield Rose, which dead heated for third. . Johnny Balbo, which was checked back to last in the middle stages, kept up his big run to finish fifth. Tawhai Blue put up a brilliant effort to win the last of the day, the Mascot Stakes. The five-year-old settled back last, set off wide around the 14 horse field and just kept going to win with some ease from Looking Glass, with Scottish Blend third.