Lyndon Robert’s Stakes

Press, 1 March 1982, Page 26

Lyndon Robert’s Stakes

Lyndon Robert, the product of a gift mare, showed the benefits of a two-month spell from racing and leapt to the top of the two-year-old ladder with a convincing win in the Timaru Nursery Stakes on Saturday. With Borana pulling them along' at a steady clip in front, Lyndon Robert lobbed along towards the middle but became more interested when the tempo quickened approaching the 400 m., Robert Dunn had the gelding up wide with the leaders, headed by Borana, Prime Hostess, Bedlum and Ashley Knight on the turn and always looked in control over the final 250 m, though the winning margin was only a neck.

It was Lyndon Robert’s third win from just four starts for a Christchurch businessman, Mr Max Bowden, who has trodden an easier path than most owners.

Mr Bowden was lent the mare, Eastwood Estelle,

from the ’ Prebbleton studmaster, Sam Ballantyne, and Lyndon Robert was the product from the first mating with Ballantyne’s former stallion, Boyden Hanover. Ballantyne won the Timaru: Nursery Stakes with Eastwood Glenfern in 1977.

Lyndon Robert won at his first two starts in the spring and broke short of the line to finish second to Prime Hostess in the Golden Slipper Stakes- at Waimate in December, his last start before winning oh Saturday. Next for Lyndon Robert will be the Kindergarten Stakes at Wyndham and then, possibly, a $lO,OOO mobile event at the Auckland Trotting Club’s Great Northern Derby meeting as a leadr up to the IZB All Rounder series, which has a $15,000 Grand Final on May 22. Second behind Lyndon Robert on Saturday, a neck away, was Bedlum, a long shot but a gallant pla cegetter, tracking Borana throughout and sticking on

solidly to the line. Lord Manhattan finished close up, third, half a length away and looked a shade unlucky. He tracked the second favourite, Ashley Knight, from the 300 m but was short of racing room when that runner did not kick on as well as expected. He was eating away at Lyndon Robert’s lead quickly towards the finish. Ashley . Knight, which received a good run three places back on the outer, went around to vie for the lead soon after the field straightened for home but lacked a sharp finishing burst and battled into fourth. The favourite, Borana, worked hard to the front 1300 m out but stopped quickly when headed, and tailed in seventh. Tipperary overcame difficulties in the running to win the 3200 m Timaru Cup Stylishly.

The Chertsey-trained four-year-old trailed four places back on the rails early in the piece but was shuffled back through the field to be near last when the field, headed by Kotare Hunter, turned for home. Tipperary had a wall of horses in front of him and his driver, Pat O’Reilly, jun., was forced to go around them all from the 350 m. The Noodlum entire rushed up quickly, dashed to the front 100 m out and stuck on too well, beating Braemar by a length and a quarter. . The win was Tipperary’s seventh (one penalty free) and boosted his stake earnings to $16,225. The second favourite, Lumber Jack, which settled five places back on the outer, came fast for third with Amaze, which took an early lead in the straight, fading to fourth.