Delightful Lady wins her last race

Press, 17 April 1982, Page 17

Delightful Lady wins her last race

PA Auckland Delightful Lady made a memorable farewell to racing when she ran away with the North Island Standardbred Breeders’ Stakes, first leg of the T.A.B. double at the Franklin Trotting Club’s meeting, at Alexandra Park last evening.

She had been a favourite with Auckland racegoers for a long time and when she reached the front soon after rounding the home turn the course fairly erupted. She passed the winning post two and a half lengths in front of the surprise favourite, Bonnie’s Chance, to the accompaniment of what could only be described as bedlam.

The crowd gave her a tremendous reception when her trainer-driver, Gary Hillier, brought her back to the winner’s circle.

Delighful Lady’s time of 3min 28.2 s was only o.Bs outside the national record set by Young Quinn in 1975. The South Island mare, Bonnie’s Chance, took command with about 1800 m to run and she was travelling so well rounding the home turn that she looked the winner. But Delightful Lady, beautifully driven by Hillier, made progress from the 200 m and from then on it was no contest. Take Care, a visitor from

Christchurch, ran on solidly for third, well clear of Jilaire’s Chance. After the race Richard Brosnan, the trainer-driver of Bonnie’s Chance, said simply: “No excuses" Mr Dave Anderson of Pukekohe, the owner of Deligthful Lady, reiterated that the race last evening was Delightful Lady’s last. She will be retired to the stud and mated in the next breeding season with a Christchurch-based sire. Wee Win.

But Mr Anderson admitted that he was under pressure from Hillier to delay Delightful Lady’s retirment until after the Inter-Dominion Championships at Alexandra Park next year.