Lassie Come Home fancied

Press, 10 January 1986, Page 16

Lassie Come Home fancied

Special correspondent Auckland Lassie Come Home will have a further chance to show her worth as an up-and-coming stayer when she tackles 2100 metres in the Summer Handicap, first leg of the T.A.B. double at the Bay of Plenty Racing Club’s meeting at Tauranga today. In her first middle-dis-tance Lassie Come Home managed a close third at Ellerslie, on DB Auckland Cup Day. She needs to improve only a little more to be very hard for Rumour, Imperial Angel and the others to beat in this one.

A win, or otherwise good performance, would be an encouragement to a tilt at the Oaks at Trentham later this month.

Against older and more

seasoned opponents Lassie Come Home ran her 2200 metres at Ellerslie in excellent style, up close to the pacemaking then staying on gamely behind Trocane and Digby. Two starts previously she won a 1600 metres race at Ellerslie, so her form altogether is very sound.

Rumour, a four-year-old mare, also has a good background with wins in her last two starts, at 1600 metres at Tauranga on December 30 than in a class four 2000 metres race during the Auckland Cup meeting.

Imperial Angel, whether unsettled by the rain-af-fected track, went moderately last time, behind Royal Heights in the Ladies’ Mile at Ellerslie. She had looked good previously, specially when she won the One Thousand Guineas at Riccarton. She managed a close fourth between then and Ellerslie in the Trumps Eulogy Stakes, at Awapuni, and is due a further chance.

Balmereve, which showed such good form during the Ellerslie holiday meeting, is the one to beat in Tauranga’s other main race, the 1600 metres Sharebrokers Handicap.