Delightful Lady equals record

Press, 15 February 1984, Page 33

Delightful Lady equals record

PA Auckland Delightful Lady equalled Lordship’s tally of 45 wins with a victory in determined style at Alexandra Park on Saturday evening.

It was three months and seven starts since her last win, in the Mission Bay Restricted Free-for-all at Alexandra Park on November 5.

On Saturday night, Delightful Lady turned in a sensational finish to the Chardon Handicap, the first leg of the T.A.B. double in the Auckland Trotting Club’s Cup meeting. She had been the backmarker on 15 metres.

Amid tumultuous applause, the 10-year-old mare headed the pacemaker, Dillon Dale, midway up the home straight and then staved off a determined challenge from Miss Clevedon to score by threequarters of a length.

Many had discounted Delightful Lady’s prospects after she finished eighth in the Auckland Cup on February 3. Saturday’s win was Delightful Lady’s thirtyseventh from 93 starts at Alexandra Park. In all, she has lined up 131 times, all except three of those in New Zealand.

By Tudor Hanover from the grand broodmare, Desilu, Delightful Lady, according to her ownerbreeder, Mr Dave Anderson, of Pukekohe, is not the best horse he has had.

Pride of place, he says, is reserved for Desilu, which never won a race.

“Without here I would not have The Lady,” he said.

Desilu, twice named Broodmare of the Year, is 24 years old and carrying her seventeenth foal from a service to Alba Byrd for a long-time friend of Mr Anderson, Mr Jack Hughes.