Gene Evander to beat Southerners

Press, 10 January 1986, Page 15

Gene Evander to beat Southerners

Special correspondent Wellington The consistent Cambridge pacer, Gene Evander, could repel a strong southern challenge when he contests the Edward Lumley Free-For-All at the Wellington Trotting Club’s meeting at Hutt Park tomorrow evening. The Lumley, which has been reduced to nine runners through scratchings, is the lead-up race for the Wellington Trotting Cup to be run next Wednesday. Despite the smallness of the field, the Lumley has drawn a number of up and coming young pacers and promises to provide an exciting contest. Gene Evander has been performing excellently in

top company in recent weeks and looks certain to be to the fore again. He showed he was up to the best company when winning the Thames Cup at Alexandra Park on December 13 and his form since has been sound. Two starts back he chased Spanker On home in the Inter-Island Challenge Stakes and then overcame a second row draw to run third over a mile at Cambridge last week. The Gene Be Good gelding is as honest as they come and should be right in the thick of things at the business end. The Noodlum four-year-old Master Mood has always looked the makings of a top pacer and he has really hit top form in the past couple of weeks. He bolted home by four lengths at Rangiora on December 21 and repeated the effort at Addington on January 1. He is nicely drawn at No. 4 on the front and could well make the pace. King Alba has also shown renewed vigour in recent weeks and comes south after a good second behind Our Mana at Cambridge last week. He ran third in the Lumley last year and should not be far away again.

The four-year-olds, Luxury Liner, Greg Patron and Metal Mickey, are all fine performers and could "show

up, while Pixanover and Soxygen also have ability. Soxygen ran second here last year and filled a similar place in the Cup. Onias, like Gene Evander trained by John Butcher, looks the one to beat in the Answer Services Mobile Pace, the second leg of the T.A.B. double. He has been racing very consistently and is well drawn on the front.