Runnymede Lobell, puts Nerd back m sires’ limelight

Press, 27 July 1988, Page 41

Runnymede Lobell, puts Nerd back m sires’ limelight

BY

JEFF SCOTT

Runnymede Lobell’s ■outstanding form in North America has resulted in something of a comeback for his sire, Nero, which is also great news for the New Zealand breeding industry. New Zealand has seen an influx of siring sons of the former world champion over the last few years — seven in fact — but back in North America Nero’s stocks had slumped over the years.

Originally standing in New Jersey for a SUS3O,OOO fee, Nero went off the boil after his first five years at stud, although constantly leaving a healthy average of winners

The Meadow Skipper entire was then transferred to a New York stud where his fee dropped to SUSSOOO. To the end of 1986, Nero had sired 1243 foals, of which 881 had raced and won almost SUS3S million in stakes. Trutone Lobell ($U5847,940 was his biggest earner, with four others winning more than SUSSOO,OOO. In 1988, Nero’s three-year-old son, Runnymede Lobell, was acclaimed the best of his age when he backed up his SUSI million North America Cup victory to win the SUSSOO,OOO Cane Pace, untouched, at Yonkers Raceway last month. This was his eighth win in as many appearances

this year for earnings of $U5859,287. His career earnings soared to $U51,043,247, the result of 20 lifetime starts for 18 wins and two seconds.

Unfortunately, the $U527,000 yearling purchase and now Nero’s first $1 million earner, was not entered for many of the remaining major stakes races in the US such as the $1 million Meadowlands Pace (won by the Direct Scooter colt Matt’s Scooter in 1:52.2 12 days ago) and the $450,000 Little Brown Jug in September. Runnymede Lobell has done all his racing to date on half-mile (800 m and five-furlong (1000 m tracks.

The colt, which has taken a 1:53.4 record on a

five-furlong track, gets his chance to win a big mile at the Meadowlands next month in the SUS3OO,OOO Olliver Wendell Holmes event.

Part-owned, trained and driven by Yves Filion, of Quebec, Canada, Runnymede Lobellwent 1:55.8 to emulate his sire by winning the Cane Pace, on the half-mile Yonkers Raceway. Nero’s ranking as a broodmare sire has also taken a lift in North America through the deeds of tile top juvenile colt in the United States this year, Hit The Bid, a son of Albatross and the Nero mare, Leslie Lobell. Hit The Bid was the fastest two-year-old in North America to the end of June, taking the

Goshen Cup at /.'the Meadowlands " in 1:55.2. The Meadowlands Pace winner, Matt’s Scooter, is developing a similar record to Runnyniede Lobell.

A $17,500 yearling purchase, lightly raced at. two and also owned in Canada, Matt’s Scooter has won three of his 10 starts this year. He has also won a SUSSOO,OOO pace this year, the New Jersey Classic for three-year-olds at the Meadowlands last month in 1:52. 5 * 5 He won the Meadowlands Pace from the unlucky favourite, Camtastic, and Armbro Global, like the winner a son of Direct Scooter and which also ran second to Matt’s Scooter in the New Jersey Classic.