Owner to race Delightful Lady

Press, 29 April 1981, Page 28

Owner to race Delightful Lady

PA Auckland! The champion race mare, I Delightful Lady has run; last race in the interests of; Messrs Fred and Paul Grant. | Their lease, renewed for; an additional 12 months last! August will expire before! the mare’s next race appear-! ance. Her owner. Mr David Anderson, of Pukekohe. confirmed yesterday that “the' Lady” would race in his; name next term, and per-, haps the 1982-83 season. “Ron Robertson (the presi-i dent of the Auckland Trott-! ing Club) tells me they; want Delightful Lady in; Perth for nexth year’s Inter-1 Dominions, But I am not; keen on taking her to Aus-; tralia, especially with the! 'high temperatures.” he said.! ! “There is a possibility that! ! Delightful Lady will contestj the Inter-Dominions at Auckland the following] year.” He warned, however, that at the first signs of training off it would be immediate retirement for the mare which has won the most money of those either standardbred or thoroughbred, to have raced solely in New Zealand.

Delightful Lady’s career record reads 98 starts, 35 wins and 31 placings for $332,927.

Lordship holds the record for the highest number of wins (45) achieved by a horse in New Zealand. Mr Anderson — along with Delightful- Lady’s trainer and driver, Mike Stormont — are keen to see the mare surpass this total.

“The biggest problem is finding enough suitable races,” said Stormont. “Naturally, clubs are not prepared to put on races for her benefit.”

Delightful Lady has proved something of a problem for clubs racing at Alexandra Park, especially during the last 12 months. Her complete domination has stifled betting and this —!

[together with a scarcity of; [suitable horses — has re-! 'suited in the Auckland; ! Trotting Club not catering ! I for open-class pacers at its; 'three-night meeting next! ; month. Delightful Lady, now; : seven, holds four national; i records. Mr Anderson would' : dearly love her to add a; fifth. i “I would like that mile! [race record for mares before; 'she’s finished,” he said, “but; [Mike (Stormont) maintains; ;that she is not a real miler. I [so we will just have to keep; jour fingers crossed.” ; Delightful Lady will be ; aimed towards the New Zea-; [land Cup in November, a; race she lost to Hands Down; [by the barest of margins last year, before another tilt! [at the Auckland Cup. which I she has won the last two years.