Diamond Lover fit for tough test

Press, 11 February 1986, Page 30

Diamond Lover fit for tough test

Special correspondent Auckland An anxious 36 hours or more ended for the Takanini trainer, Colin .fillings, when Diamond Lover came through pacework at Takanini yesterday morning to all appearances fit to run at Te Rapa today. Diamond Lover, certain favourite for the $65,000 Lion Brown Sprint at the Waikato Racing Club’s meeting had been under a cloud with a foot injury since winning, for the fourth time on end, at Te Rapa last Saturday. After having the foot tubbed and poulticed on Saturday night and through Sunday, Diamond Lover was re-shod yesterday morning then allowed light exercise on the cinders before paceworking on the plough.

Diamond Lover seemed to show no sign of soreness, satisfying both fillings and Bob Vance, who rode her in her work.

From anywhere near the inside at the barrier Diamond Lover would have been a red-hot favourite for the Waikato Racing Club’s big sprint today, even though she has yet to compete outside intermediate class. The 1200 m she won on Saturday was class-four. As it happened she drew 11 out of 15. For all that not too many racegoers who have watched

Diamond Lover string together her wins will be keen to back one against her.

An Australian-bred, three-year-old filly, raced by Mr Patrick Hogan, of Cambridge Stud, and his wife, Diamond Lover gained the first of her wins on December 21, over 1150 m at Te Awamutu. She then took a 1400 m race at Ellerslie and another at Avondale before winning last Saturday.

In her Avondale race she recorded 1:21.29 and, last Saturday, 1:09.1 for the 1200 m. Her winning margins total 17-1/2 lengths and easily could have been more.

It is early, yet, to compare Diamond Lover with the fastest fillies and mares of more recent years, the likes, say, of Yahabeebe, but she is exceptionally fast. If she deals with today’s field as she did with those she beat the last, four times she will, indeed, take high ranking. As quick as she is, Diamond Lover will probably be made to go hard by several in the Lion Brown Sprint, more particlarly Tanalyse and Princess Dram. They both fared well in the barrier draw.

Tanalyse and Princess Dram, first and second respectively, were principals in the finish of the Wrightson Handicap on

the first day of the Wellington Cup meeting.

Princess Dram has not raced meanwhile but Tanalyse showed his class again when third over 1600 m in Trentham’s Jarden Mile.

Under the weight-for-age conditions, though, Tanalyse is required to give Diamond Lover 6kg, as are all first six in the field. And Princess Dram, a four-year-old mare, has a bigger weight than the filly by 4kg. Pinson, Solveig, Hassendean, Glenside and Clear Gold are other accomplished gallopers against Diamond Lover, helping make up an impressive field.

The other big weight-for-age attraction, the 2000 m Cambridge Stud International, should be hard fought with the leading three-year-old, Bonecrusher, and Eva Grace, Cornal, Kerry Lane, Balmereve and Duanette’s Girl all to compete. In this first race since he won the New Zealand Derby Bonecrusher could be found wanting a race. In that case Eva Grace or Lacka Reason might prove the hardest to beat.

Eva Grace, so outstanding through the first half of the summer, looked an improver when she ran the other week, at Rotorua. So did Lacka Reason.