Michele Bromac wins DB fillies heat

Press, 11 February 1986, Page 30

Michele Bromac wins DB fillies heat

From JEFF SCOTT Blenheim

Michele Bromac, wellrated in front by Colin de Filippi, qualified for the rich D.B. Export Fillies final at Addington Raceway in May when she won the second South Island heat in 2min 00.2 s at the Marlborough Trotting Club’s meeting yesterday. De Fillipl, who was suspended for causing interference in the Max Harvey Auckland Cup in which he drove Our Mana on Saturday, appealed against the decision, enabling him to drive members of his team at Waterlea yesterday. The Ladbrooks horseman was able to dictate the terms from the outset with Michele Bromac, which began swiftly from her ace draw and cut out the opening half-mile in 59.35. De Filippi held Michele Bromac together for much of the run down the straight, keeping Lady Sovereign, which was travelling well in the trail, locked up until 150 m from the finish. She was not unduly extended to win by a length,

running her last 400 m in 30.85. Michele Bromac joins Kiwi River and Gina Rosa as other heat winners assured of a start in the final, with five remaining heat winners also to gain entry to the final, which will be worth in excess of $BO,OOO. The remaining three places in the final field will be selected from place-getters in the heats. Michele Bromac will also contest the next South Island heat at the Hororata meeting at Ashburton on Saturday week. The daughter of Besta Fella and Mitre Bay was syndicated for $lO,OOO by the Blue Blood No. 2 Syndicate, consisting of two shares held by the Christchurch-based Blue Blood company, and the remaining eight shares held by members in the Canterbury-West Coast regions. She doubled her career earnings to $16,215 with yesterday’s win, her third from eight starts, while she also finished second three times. Western Fella, which was restrained early from the outside of the front

line settled well off the pace but improved near the home turn. She finished solidly for Second, a length and a quarter ahead of Lady Sovereign, a length clear of Free’s Best, which was checked twice during the running by/Laudit, which broke -after 300 m, and by Furillo, which tangled with 1200 m to run. Shirt’s Lord completed a double for the meeting with a stylish win in the Portage Hotel Mobile Pace. The four-year-old sister to the useful stayer, Spangled Lord (six wins before injury curtailed his racing career), gave her rivals a start and a sound beating. After she was restrained to last early, her Weedons trainer-driver, Jack Smolensk!, set her alight from the 800 m and she swept up to be handy into the straight. The promising Lordship mare came clear to win comfortably by two lengths and looks capable of further quick progress. The close relative of the smart Melbourne three-year-old filly, El Trafford (Imin 59.45),

had to be good to win as the leaders ran their closing 800 m in 595. This was her third win from 11 starts for her Dunedin owners, the 194647 All Black half-back and later a New Zealand rugby league representative, Jim Haig, who races Shirt’s Lord in partnership with sons Bill and Barry. The Haigs purchased Shirt’s Lord as a weanling from her Dunedin breeder, Alby Crawford. She showed early promise for Dennis Smolenski’s team early last season, but was given a year off after developing soreness in a leg.

The dam of Shirt’s Lord, the former useful mare, Spangled Mary (six wins), died while foaling two weeks ago. The foal, brother to Shirt’s Lord and Spangled Lord, survived.

Chummy, which broke when free of interference with 500 m to run when racing three wide in the second line, causing Jetline and Polita to also break, has to trial to the satisfaction of the stipendiary stewards before racing again.