Racing: Boxing Day treat awaits punters

Lizzie L'Amour (centre, pink cap) leads home stablemates Love Affair (left) and Stolen Dance (right) in the Cal Isuzu Stakes at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo / Race Images

It couldn't be more appropriate.

One month before Sir Patrick Hogan's official swansong at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka sale we'll see almost certainly the best Zabeel Classic field yet at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

The $200,000 Group 1 feature epitomises the class of the man responsible for the champion thoroughbred perpetuated by the race.

Even without Kawi this will be the best line-up we could wish for.

Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman will be looking forward to it with Lizzie L'Amour and Stolen Dance, the 1-3 result in Saturday's 1600m Cal Isuzu running for them on Boxing Day and fourth placed Devise will be there as well. All three will appreciate the step up to 2000m.

Without taking anything away from the winner, hot favourite Love Affair turned in a huge performance to go down narrowly.

Against a definite on-pace and close-to-the-inside bias she came from second last and tried very hard against another quality mare.

Love Affair will not be aimed at the Zabeel Classic, but she can be confidently followed in whatever she is aimed at.

Terrific effort by the Baker/Forsman stable to produce the trifecta. Some would be surprised Lizzie L'Amour was able to win at 1600m on Saturday, even though there was no great price on offer. It becomes less mysterious when you factor in that in Melbourne in the early spring she was working significantly better than stablemate Bonneval.

She was well fancied to win the A$250,000 1600m Feehan Stakes at her first start in Melbourne, but dropped out approaching the home turn and was virtually pulled up, suffering from what was believed to be a respiratory issue.

The fact Bonneval won the race provides an idea of how dangerous Lizzie L'Amour would have been at her best. In three more Victoria starts she could not find anything like her true form and following a beaten run in the Geelong Cup she was returned home and freshened.

As already the winner of a Group 1 2000m at Ellerslie and the victor of last year's Waikato Cup, she will be a tough opponent in the Zabeel Classic. So will Stolen Dance, ridden forward Saturday to counteract her tendency to give the leaders too much of a start in the closing stages over 1600m after slow starts.

She will be able to be ridden a touch further back in the Zabeel, which should allow her to sprint hard late. She was just topped off in the Zabeel a year ago.

Stylish juvenile She's A Thief pushed herself forward for Karaka Million favouritism with an expected runaway victory in the 2-year-old. When she won on debut on the same track she raced very keenly in front, but was still able to kick away.

With that run behind her she was more settled in front this time and Melbourne's Patrick Moloney didn't have to get serious to win by three lengths from Wisdom Patch.

The talented Showcasing filly is trained left-handed and both wins have been that way around. It will be interesting when she has her first Ellerslie experience, but co-trainer Pam Gerrard says she is very compliant.

Assessing the racing in the last four to five weeks we are in for a wonderful Ellerslie carnival.

Racing is a funny game — you can be very right and very wrong almost at the same time. On television before the $70,000 Swap Contractors Sprint co-trainer Stephen Autridge tipped Chambord to beat stablemate Royal Success. He was right even though Royal Success beat the other horse by an eyelash.

Chambord was the biggest certainty beaten on the day. Chris Johnson had a massive task getting him through the field in the home straight and to be so narrowly beaten was a surprise when you consider where he was at the 120m.