Steady Lady prevails

Press, 10 January 1983, Page 26

Steady Lady prevails

Special correspondent

Wellington

Steady Lady boosted her chances for Wednesday night's $15,000 Wellington Cup with a game nose win over Stampede in the Edward Ltimely Free-for-all at Hutt Park on Saturday. The mare finished at a great rate to catch Stampede right on the line with Sharvid Skipper third, two lengths back, after working clear late.

Steady Lady is owned in Invercargill by her breeders. Mr and Mrs Gordon Davidson. She was sent to Roy and Barry Pardon's Clevedon stable for a tilt at the Woolworths Messenger, late last month, a race in which she finished fourth behind Hilarious Guest, after being well back on the home turn.

One of the first crop of the Most Happy Fella stallion Transport Chip, which stands at Cedar Lodge Stud, in Southland. Steady Lady has now won eight races.

She started the season with a C2 assessment and has quickly raced through the grades following five wins and a third from her first six races of the season. Her last success, before Saturday's, was in her first start for the Purdons on the opening night of the Messenger meeting in the middle of December. Steady Lady's win on Saturday was not confirmed till 20 minutes after the race. Tom Fox. the driver of Dutchy. and Barry Purdon. Steady Lady's driver, were called’ before the stipendiary stewards soon after the event.

An objection was lodged against Steady Lady holding first place because of alleged interference to Dutchy after approximately 300 m. After viewing the film of the race, however. Andrew Neal, the driver of Take Aim. had his horseman's licence suspended up to and including January 19. Wednesday week.

It was found that Neal had tightened Steady Lady on to Dutchy after 300 m, causing the latter to break.

A four-year-old. Steady Lady is a half-sister to the North Island Oaks winner. Speedy Girl, her dam being the Lumber Dream mare. Browngate Lady. Browngate Lady did little racing because of an injury but is leaving her mark as a broodmare. She is out of the Hal Tryax mare, Shadow Wave, dam also of Charlie's Darling (2min 6s USA), Forest Knight (2min 6.2 s USA).

Shadow Master (2min 8.75) and a top West Australian racer. Scott Brown. Steady Lady has an enviable record this season. She has raced nine times for six wins and two placings. Her only failure this term was when seventh at Alexandra Park, two starts before Saturday's win.

Steady Lady showed a tendency to pace roughly short of the line, and actually broke just after crossing the finish line. She was really travelling, making up some four or five lengths on Stampede over the last 100 m. However, she has shown this tendency in the past and her pacing action has been helped by some remedial shoeing which has built up the outer of a hind shoe.

Stampede was the gamest of seconds. His driver. Gavin Hampton, thought he had won the race by a head but the photo finish showed Steady Lady just fractionally ahead.

Hampton was pleased with Stampede's effort. As it was the winner ran the 2000 m in 2min 33.45. only 0.6 of a second outside the track record and a mile rate of just over 2min 3s.

Sharvid Skipper and Stampede shared favouritism with Steady Lady being the third elect.

Of the three Sharvid Skipper looked the most unlucky. Mike Nicholas was caught three back on the rails with Sharvid' Skipper and did not really gain clear racing room till late in the straight. Once clear, he rushed home to take third by a long neck from Mister Wood Chips, a gallant fourth, with the pacemaking Sprinkler weakening to fifth.

The consistent but unlucky Palmerston North mare. Lady Wainui. broke through for a deserved win when she easily accounted for her rival’s in the Max Harvey Pace, the second leg of the T.A.B. double. Sent to the lead after 800 m, Lady Wainui never surrendered and won impressively by a length from the rank outsider Berry Scott. Third, three-quarters of a length back? was Milford Eden, with the second favourite, Takbaa, fourth. Ross Fraser trains Lady Wainui for his mother and also drove the mare to win. Lady Wainui has always looked capable but bad draws and a tendency to drift in her races have cost her winning runs on several occasions.