Racing: Mare adds Group win to pedigree

Lizzie L'Amour and Matt Cameron win the Waikato Cup at Te Rapa yesterday. Photo / Trish Dunell

The well-related Lizzie L'Amour has pushed her value skyward with her successful open class debut at Te Rapa.

The progressive four-year-old took a sharp rise in class in her stride when she was untroubled to triumph in the Group 3 Skycity Hamilton Waikato Cup yesterday in the hands of regular rider Matt Cameron.

"We ran her out of her grade because she's by Zabeel and we all wanted black type for her," said Murray Baker, who trains the mare at Cambridge with Andrew Forsman.

Lizzie L'Amour, who was making just her eighth raceday appearance, was stepping up from a most recent fifth in Rating 75 company.

"I knew she would get the 2400 metres because Matt covered that trip on her at her last start at Ellerslie!" Baker said.

Out of a Sadler's Wells mare, Lizzie L'Amour settled three back on the fence before she was into the clear to improve near the turn and she rounded off strongly in the straight.

"She was as good as we could get her today and she had no weight," Baker said.

Lizzie L'Amour may now make her next appearance in the Group 3 Laser Plumbing Te Puke City of Auckland Cup at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.

That race is also likely to be on the programme for the runner-up Snow Secret, who was one of the few runners to make ground from the back.

Megablast turned in a solid performance to take third, with Candle In The Wind the next to cross the line. The favourite Chenille was last with 800 metres to run and she made little impression thereafter, beating only two runners home.

- NZ Racing Desk