Lemrac top contender

Press, 9 May 1983, Page 29

Lemrac top contender

NZPA staff correspondent Washington

The New Zealand-bred Lemrac will be a top contender in the $U5375,000 World Cup pacing series at the Meadowlands, near New York. The series will be run on three consecutive Thursdays, starting on May 12. Lemrac, a five-year-old chestnut gelding by Noodlum out of Carmel (Lemrac is Carmel spelt backwards), was bought by a Long Island, New York, consortium in 1982 for SUSIOO,OOO. Last year he equalled the world best time — lmin 54s — for a four-year-old pacing gelding. His trainer, Jerry Silverman, says Lemrac is “physically in excellent con-

dition” and ready for the cup.

Last year he finished first or second in nine out of 10 starts at Meadowlands for earnings of $U584,765.

Lemrac injured his suspensory during his lmin 54s mile last July, though, so Silverman halted his racing then.

Training this year has included a lot of mile and a half runs. Lemrac will be driven by Bill O’Donnell, one of America’s most experienced — and most successful — drivers. First race in the series is a mile and an eighth, fpr $lOO,OOO. The second, on May 19, is over a mile and a half arid the third, on May 26, over a mile.