Betty the best bet
Glamour northern pacing mare
Bettor Cover Lover gets the
chance to add another Group I
classic to her bulging list of
achievements with the $100,000
New Zealand Breeders’ Stakes at
Addington tonight.
Last season ‘‘Betty’’, as she is
commonly known, had to settle
for second behind southern star
Carabella, but with the local lass
recovering from injury it leaves
the Brent Mangos-trained and
driven horse the hot favourite.
Bettor Cover Lover produced a
commanding performance a
fortnight ago in winning the
Premier Mares Championship at
Addington when she went to the
front and was challenged before
rallying again.
However, drawing the second
row will ensure she is not handed
the prize money. She faces several
threats including Harness Jewels
winner Pembrook’s Delight,
although she will start from the
outside of the front row off the
mobile.
A better option might be
northern newcomer Averil’s
Quest, from Hamilton, who adds
interest having drawn ideally at
gate No 2, while Elusive Chick
will also have her admirers.
Averil’s Quest ran Bettor Cover
Lover to a nose three starts ago at
Alexandra Park.
The race is among several
features on the night with another
rich fillies race, the $175,000
Yearling Sales Three-Year-Old
Championship also to be decided.
Rozelski, from Mark Purdon’s
stable, could start favourite on the
strength of some bold displays
including two wins from her last
three outings.
Part-owned by legendary
Flashback: Bettor Cover Lover, outside, just pipped by Carabella in the Breeders’ Stakes at Addington last year, She gets her chance to atone tonight.
gallops trainer Jim Gibbs and
harness racing journalist Mick
Guerin, Rozelski will be tested by
another Harness Jewels winner in
Delightful Christian who has
drawn the ace in the 1950m sprint.
This pair should have the
others covered although there is
some confidence surrounding the
lightly-raced Nigel McGrathtrained Allura who has Ricky
May in the driver’s seat.
The return of Stig to Addington
highlights the mobile sprint trot
and on the form he displayed in
the North Island when he twice
downed champion I Can Doosit he
will be at short odds.
Equally tight will be New
Zealand Cup winner Terror To
Love who takes another step
along the trail towards her Interdominion title in the Summer
Cup.
He faces just four rivals and
should dispatch them comfortably
although Christen Me will add
interest after a winning streak
which was only ended last start
when headed by Jason Rulz in the
Pelorus Classic at Blenheim.
Meanwhile, in Melbourne
tomorrow night, a host of New
Zealand-trained horses compete
on the big stage.
Bit Of A Legend, Ohoka Punter
and Arden Rooney are in the
Group I $200,000 Victoria Derby,
while Dr Hook and Vulcan tackle
the Group I A$50,000 Australian
Trotting Championship.
Later on the card, last week’s
Photo: FAIRFAX NZ
impressive Ballarat Cup winner,
Mah Sish, starts favourite in the
Group I $400,000 Hunter Cup, with
Highview Tommy and Four
Starzzz Flash rounding out the
Kiwi representation.
Mah Sish’s driver, Anthony
Butt, is aiming for an
unprecedented seventh Hunter
Cup win and his third in a row. He
has won the race in three of the
past four years behind Mr
Feelgood (2009), Stunin Cullen
(2011) and Choise Achiever (2012).
Small stable set for big double
Aidan Rodley
A stable with just three horses
racing could dominate the twoday Waikato summer carnival.
Cambridge trainer Lee
Somervell has last-start Group I
Railway Stakes winner Fleur de
Lune purring ahead of tomorrow
week’s Group I $200,000 Waikato
Draught Sprint (1400m) at Te
Rapa and tomorrow he will look
for the perfect entree performance
from Addictive Habit in the
feature Group II $100,000 HS Dyke
Waikato Guineas (2000m).
‘‘It’s a good carnival at
Waikato and I’m just delighted to
have two such lovely horses in
these feature races from my small
team because I’ve only got six in
work, three racing at the
moment.’’
Addictive Habit will open as
the TAB’s $8 fourth favourite for
the Waikato Guineas, having
chased home the Donna Logantrained Habibi when second in
both the Group II Great Northern
Guineas (1600m) at Ellerslie on
Boxing Day and the Group II
Championship Stakes (2100m) at
the same track six days later.
Habibi was entered for the
Waikato Guineas but was
withdrawn on Wednesday, much
to Somervell’s delight.
‘‘He’s very well and I’m delighted Donna took up my offer of the
wine and pulled out,’’ Somervell
quipped. ‘‘All of us with horses in
that race would have concerns
‘
I’m just delighted to
have two such lovely
horses in these
feature races from
my small team.
Lee Somervell
Cambridge trainer
about that track but you can’t do
much about the weather and
obviously they’ve done as much
watering as they can.
‘‘My horse is pretty good on top
of the ground but as soon as we
get some rain he’ll be even better.
But I’m really happy with him.
His blood’s good, his work has
been good. It’s just that he’s run
into a budding champion at his
last two starts.’’
A winner of one of his eight
starts, Addictive Habit has drawn
barrier 10 in the 13-horse field for
the three-year-old feature.
‘‘I can genuinely say he’s
improved since that last run.
‘‘He’s just a lovely staying
three-year-old and he’s only going
to get better with age,’’ Somervell
said.
‘‘It’s a good field, worthy of the
contest, but it’s certainly made it
a lot easier now the filly [Habibi]
isn’t coming.’’
Somervell had considered
bypassing the Waikato Guineas in
favour of the Group II Avondale
Guineas (2100m) at Ellerslie on
February 17 but favoured the Te
Rapa race as it provided him with
a better leadup timing ahead of
the Group I $750,000 New Zealand
Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on
March 2.
Somervell said he expected
last-start Wellington Stakes
winner Weissmuller, the $3 TAB
favourite, to be the hardest to beat
on Saturday.
Zinko is $6 second favourite for
the Waikato Guineas with Sam
Mesi on the third line of betting at
$7.50
Addictive Habit is offering $21
on the TAB’s New Zealand Derby
market, with Habibi heading the
prices at $4 ahead of Weissmuller
at $6 and Zinko at $10.
Fairfax NZ