Lady Edwina heading for Riccarton

Press, 27 June 1983, Page 28

Lady Edwina heading for Riccarton

Special correspondent Wellington In just her second trip away from the northern racing area, Lady Edwina beat a small but select field in Saturday’s $ll,OOO Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase at Hastings on Saturday. As the Manawatu ’Chase had been some eight days beforehand, it was not a bad event by any standards. Like Manawatu, three runners, Lady Edwina, Sparkling Brew and Grey Warbler came to the last fence together, rose pretty much as one, but Lady Edwina did best and her winning margin over Sparkling Brew was two lengths. That was also the distance back to Grey Warbler. Foaming Henri was fourth, 12 lengths away. Lasanta

drifted from a handy place, while Civil Rights and Aurlada were the other runners, but they had no role over the final lap. Lady Edwina, the second favourite, was ridden by Tony Gillies and raced in fourth place for most of the way, just biding her time, until the straight. The mare is unique in that not many of her sex win jumping races, certainly not big ones. On Saturday she ran the 4800 m in 6min 12.75. The track was in fine shape and Denis Gray, the rider of Grey Warbler, noted that when his mount won the race last year it took 6min 30.445. “I’d have still been at the last fence this time with that,” he said. Last year Lady Edwina

ventured to Manawatu for the steeples but lost her rider. Her owner-breeder and trainer, Bill Cole, of Te Kauwhata, is keen to give her a run in the Grand National at Riccarton. So she packed up and left home for the second time. The testing Hastings course is a good guide if horses want to manage the Riccarton country. Lady Edwina has now won four chases. She won the Greenlane at Ellerslie in August 1982, then last season won the Radio IZH Inter-Island at Paeroa and the McGregor Grant Steeplechase, and now Saturday’s race. Cole would not mind having a crack at the InterIsland again and he has not ruled out a run in the

Wellington ’Chase either. This season Lady Edwina ran fifth in the Great Northern Steeplechase and second to Hunterville in the Maramarua Hunt Cup. Last season she beat Hunterville in both her wins. Bill Cole has been pretty successful with his jumpers, Alwyn’s Pride and Celtic Song being two of the most recent sound performers. Cole operates the Arganaut Stud and he stands Leader of the Band, in demand for this season, and the well-performed Captain Jason, whose influence in the Central Districts has been seen with Kerkeion and Lady Jason. Tony Gillies was having his second win in the race. He was the pilot when Marji’s Gold won in 1978.