Canny drive steers Lakelsa to Group 1 success

By Michael Guerin

Lakelsa capped an amazing rise from a maiden seven months ago to a Group 1 winner at Addington on Friday night.

But the flashing win in the $100,000 Fahey Fence Hire Breeders Stakes didn’t come without some nervous moments for punters.

Robbie Close used her gate speed to fire to the lead but Bob Butt on Princess Meritaten had similar ideas and while Lakelsa trailed early she was pushed three back when All You Need Is Me came knocking for the lead.

Close had two options starting the last 400m and chose to pull off the markers into the running line and a wall of traffic, leaving punters concerned he wouldn’t get a run and Close would look like a Goose (see what I did there).

But he waited, changed lanes, waited again and when the gap came the big girl flew to catch Princess Meritaten and win going away.

Pacing pony Boudica had the biggest moment of her career when third, a Group 1 placegetter five days after winning at Hawera, which is a long way from Addington.

“She simply wouldn’t have won without Goose (Close) making that decision so he deserves so much of the credit tonight,” says trainer Regan Todd.

Todd set Lakelsa for this race six weeks ago and admits he hasn’t thought too much past it.

“I am just stoked for the owners because they are great guys and very loyal but we now have to find another target.

“There are races in Australia like the Ladyship Mile but we haven’t even started to think about those yet.

“I want the owners to enjoy their win and we can start looking at the options next week.”

It was Todd and Close’s second win in the race in three years after Bettor Talk Art winning it in 2022.

“It is so special for a mare to get her Group 1 and being such a big beautiful mare she should leave lovely foals,” says Todd.

That is all in the future though and Todd will be back buying at the NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales which start at Karaka next Saturday.

“I hope this increases the interest from perspective owners too. They say there is no better advertising than the winning post.”

The other highlight of the night was a determined win from One Over All in the Continental Event Hire Trot.

He blasted the gate and led for trainer-driver Gavin Smith who walked a tempo tightrope, going fast enough to deter the parked Muscle Mountain but slow enough to have some in the tank to hold out trailer Midnight Dash.

Muscle Mountain loomed up to win at the 150m but peaked on his run but the winner deserved all the credit for his third win in five weeks and he might be pushing for any spare spot in the $600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge on April 4.

Foxtrot Romeo's remarkable transformation continues 

By Michael Guerin

A trotter leased to help fill some of the new Tuesday afternoon fields at Cambridge last year might be a little too good for that role in the future.

Because Romeo Foxtrot has developed into one of the surprises of the summer and an Alexandra Park winner on Friday night.

He didn’t start racing until he was four and his first three seasons bought six wins and plenty of fun for the Bublitz family, with Cambridge track manager Andrew training.

But after a short stint with David Butcher, the Bublitzs decided to lease Romeo out.

Enter Cambridge Raceway boss David Branch, who thought Romeo might pick up a few cheques and fill a few fields at their new Tuesday afternoon meetings launched last year.

He leased Romeo Foxtrot and put together an ownership group that included his mum Susan (who now trains the veteran) and father Murray along with David’s partner Brad Molander.

Brad works at one of New Zealand’s top thoroughbred nurseries Wentwood Grange so roped in Wentwood co-owners Tennille and Charlie Hawkins as well as staff member Tayla Wilson.

Add in Cambridge Raceway's  always smiling sponsorship manager Ashleigh Hopping and you have a diverse ownership group but one with realistic expectations.

They couldn’t have seen what this summer had brought.

“Initially we couldn’t even get him going at the Tuesday meetings but we played around with him trying different things and what we found worked best was swimming,” explains Branch. 

“But he has now been placed in I think 14 of his last 15 starts with a couple of wins and he has earned $20,000 already this year alone, and probably more at the back end of last season.

“We actually had a right of purchase on him which we have now exercised so that has worked out well for Andrew and his family as they have won stake money and now sold him while we are loving racing him.”

Romeo Foxtrot went to Hawera last weekend where he did what he usually does, finishing second twice, and only swam between then and Friday night when he wore down Hillbilly Blues to win the $15,000 Pascoes The Jewellers Trot in a sharp 2:44.1 for the mobile 2200m trot.

Branch used to work at Alexandra Park before taking over at Cambridge and knows how hard it is to win there but it now looks where Romeo should be doing most of his foxtrotting.

“Series like the Metro series have been so good for him and other horses like him and mean we can keep these horses in the country and racing and even bringing new people into ownership.”

Later in the night Rubira took his first steps toward the major three-year-old races in the north in coming months when he overcame a wide draw to win his Alexandra Park debut.

And new training partnership of Ray Green and Nathan Delany got two early wins on Delany’s 25th birthday with Colonel Lincoln and Angelic Copy, the latter the first winner here for superstar racehorse turned stallion Bettor’s Wish.