Young eyes southern spoils with star filly

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk

Trainer Jeremy Young can’t wait to head south with Lady Of The Light to try and avenge her defeat in the Group 1 Northern Oaks (2700m) at Alexandra Park in March.

The daughter of Bettor’s Delight stormed home late in the fillies feature but came up just half a neck short of race victor True Fantasy, trained and driven by Young’s former boss Mark Purdon.

It gave Young a morsel of Group One success, and he wants more, so he will head south to Addington Raceway later this year with his filly where he is hoping to dine on an elite-level feast.

The Group 1 Nevele R Fillies Series Final (1980m) on New Zealand Cup Day is her main aim, while Young is also eyeing a tilt at the Group 1 New Zealand Pacing Oaks (2600m) a month later.

Lady Of The Light will begin her path towards the fillies features at Alexandra Park on Thursday where she will contest the Charity Auction For A ‘Blues’ Jersey Mobile Pace (2200m).

“I can’t wait to kick her off. She has had the one workout and she went well in that, but she will obviously improve with the run,” Young said.

“We need to kick off somewhere, heading towards the first heat of the Nevele R at the end of the month.”

While pleased with her run in the Northern Oaks, Young said he faced a stressful time with Lady Of The Light a month prior when competing in the Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million 3YO Fillies Final Mobile Pace (2200m).

“We had a hiccup before the Harness Millions race. It may have looked disappointing but she had no work heading into the race,” Young said.

“She is quite a big horse and quite a high wither. The saddle pad rubbed up and I had been swimming her and I think she got a bug at the top of her wither, basically.

“She got really sick, she had a high temperature and we had to give her 10 days off.

“We got her to the Harness Millions and I thought that was a courageous effort (to finish fifth) because she was basically doing it without any real prep into it.

“After that we had time to get her right for the Oaks, and the distance suited as well. We just about got there but just fell short.

“Hopefully we can get back to that form and head down to Christchurch for Cup Week and have a crack at the Nevele R and then the New Zealand Oaks.”

Young said he can’t wait to head south with his filly and experience the North vs South rivalry once more.

“She is probably the best horse I have had. It is exciting for the owners and myself to have a horse like her, we are only a small stable,” he said.

“She is representing the North Island going south, so that little bit of rivalry is always good.”

Young purchased Lady Of The Light out of Woodlands Stud’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft for $16,000.

A year prior, he purchased stablemate John Wayne from Woodlands Stud’s yearling draft for $31,000, and he will be trying to recapture form in the Book At The Alex For NZ Trotting Cup Day Mobile Pace (2200m) on Thursday.

“John Wayne has been a bit disappointing. He has just had a few little niggles that we are trying to get ahead of,” Young said.

“If he puts his best foot forward there is no reason why he can’t be getting some money.”