Likely Lord runs on too well in Winter Cup

Press, 25 May 1985, Page 28

Likely Lord runs on too well in Winter Cup

By

G. K. YULE

Likely Lord advanced to within one win of a start in the next New Zealand Cup when he clearly outstayed his rivals in the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s Winter Cup at Addington Raceway last evening. Robert Cameron made certain that Likely Lord’s great staying powers would be used to best advantage by taking the lead from Coastal Trader with 2500 m to run. The pace immedi-

ately increased, and although some tentative challenges came early in the run home Likely Lord was at no stage likely to be put to the test and he won convincingly by two lengths. Likely Lord paced the 3200 m in 4min 11.8 s, a splendid effort in the bitingly cold conditions. He took Imin for his final 800 m, the last 400 m in 29.65. An eight-year-old by Lordship from Principles, Likely Lord is trained at Ashburton by Peter Cates,

who races the dour stayer in partnership with his wife. He has now had nine wins and 13 placings from 33 starts for more than $31,000 in stakes. Lady El, three wide from the 600 m, battled gamely into second, a length and a quarter in front of Freightman, which drifted near the straight entrance and made a renewed bid near the end. Liquid Lightning, which received the run of the race, was right up next, ahead of Spry Joker, which lost a

good position when Best Dream stopped badly near the 600 m. There are no suitable races remaining this season for Likely Lord, which will have an easy time before being prepared for a tilt at the feature races at the National meeting in August. Lady El’s placing ensured that she retained first place in the Eastwood Lodge Trophy for the most successful mare or filly for the season at Addington Raceway.