Racing: Winter Cup next for Lover

Seaton's Lover is set to back up in the Winter Cup at Addington in Christchurch on Friday night after a good win in the Oamaru Cup yesterday.

"It will be a step up in class for her in the Winter Cup but I think the 3200m will suit her," said Martin Larter, the Christchurch trainer and part-owner of Seaton's Lover.

She was a fast-finishing second at Addington last Friday night.

She led over the final 1700m yesterday and held on by half a length from Royal Knight in a useful time of 3m 18.2s for the 2600m.

A 5-year-old daughter of Man Around Town and Disbar, and a half-sister to Disprove, Seaton's Lover is raced by Larter with Ric Burnett, of Christchurch, and Terry Skerten, of Wellington, on lease from Steven Fisher, of Oxford.

Laura Lane, the favourite for the Oamaru Cup, tangled at the start and was never in contention.

Padme Naberrie, who has twice fractured a pastern, won a maiden trot with a powerful finishing burst.

The 6-year-old mare, named after a Star Wars character, fractured her pastern as a 2-year-old and repeated the injury at four.

She is trained by Lynn and Justin Smith, who have had a grand season with the trotter Some Direction.

Padme Naberrie is raced by Lynn Smith and her husband, Gavin, who bred Padme Naberrie, by star juvenile trotter Above The Stars from the unraced Untold Story.

The latter is a daughter of Chiola Hanover and the top trotter, About Now, owned and trained by Lynn Smith's father, Bill Doyle.

Trainer-driver Patrick O'Reilly had some compensation when he won with the 3-year-old Jefferson.

O'Reilly was forced to scratch his five-win trotter Without Fear due to a leg injury sustained when she kicked a rail in her yard on Saturday night.

Brite Paper, winner of the main trot in a useful time of 3m 23.1s for the 2600m, will be spelled.

The 7-year-old is trained at Christchurch by Roger Hubbard.

Jay Abernethy found the trip from Auckland worthwhile when driving Man With The Money to win the race for junior drivers.

It was his first South Island win.

Abernethy, 21, has driven 32 winners in four seasons.

He is attached to the Papakura stable of his grandfather, Kevin Abernethy.

- NZPA