Wyndham harness racing trainers Gordon and Colin Lee are on a roll at the business end of the season.
With the big stakes up for grabs at Diamonds Day next Sunday their horses are at the peak of their form and three wins today were led by a stunning win by Seaswift Joy.
She went down to the line relatively easily, putting her well and truly in the frame for next Sunday's Group Two Nevele R/ Macca Lodge Southland Oaks Final.
“That’s why we started her today just to tighten her up for next week because she’s going to have to be at her absolute best against those other good fillies. She went huge at Forbury and was doing the best of anything else at the finish. To run a quarter and a half like that was phenominal,” said Gordon Lee who drove the Bettor's Delight filly to win today.
From an outside draw Lee slotted Seaswift Joy into the outside running line. She got a nice drag into the race until the top of the straight before she cruised down the middle of the track to beat Mongolian Storm by half a length. The time for the 2200 metre mobile was 2-41.3.
Next Sunday's Oaks Final is shaping up to be a mouth watering affair with the inform Delightful Memphis, speedy Bonnie Joan and handy types in Ariadne Lavra all capable of figuring in the finish. The race will be run over 2700 metres from a mobile. That should suit Seaswift Joy.
Meanwhile a former Southland Oaks Final winner Royal Counsel returned to winning form at Ascot Park today for the Lee brothers.
She'd been away from the race track for some time before heading south from Canterbury for the Lees to once again take up the training of the Gotta Go Cullect mare who is now six.
Prior to today's return to winning form she'd had two standing start races in the province.
Art Exhibit after winning at Ascot Park – Photo Bruce Stewart
“She didn’t go away good the other day because she trots out into her hopples. But she’s going to have to learn to pace out in that grade. The first run was pretty hard on her because they went that fantastic time. She hadn’t raced for eighteen months. She recovered and after her run in the Winton Cup I knew she was back to her old self,” said Gordon.
The Lees have always had a soft spot for the mare and Gordon says they would like to hang onto her for as long as possible.
“They can’t get her in foal so it looks as though all she’s going to be is a racehorse. I don’t think Malcolm will want her back. She’s my old favourite really so I was happy to have her back. I always thought she’d be good enough to win a Country Cups one day. Not this year though.”
In the Southland Standardbred Breeders Mobile Pace from barrier seven Lee took her to the front before handing up to favourite Hopes And Dreams. Royal Counsel took the inside passing lane to beat Hopes And Dreams by a neck. The winning time was 2-02.1 for the 1700 metres.
“She hasn’t really got high speed but what she has got (speed) she can sustain over a long distance. That’s her forte really.”
Bruce Stewart
Southland Harness Racing