18 November, 2003
A flotilla of Victorian mares will converge on
Sydney's Harold Park this Friday night for the Group 1 Ladyship Mile.
Melton's glamour girls Nolarama (pictured) and
Sassy Sarah spearhead a five-pronged assault that also features Clyde star
Lombo La Fe Fe, Drouin's defending champion Petes Dream and Great Western
speedster Lagoon Lady.
With only eight invitees for the $100,000 mares
sprint, more than half the field will carry the 'Big V' into battle.
If numbers don't worry their rivals out of the prize,
then history might do so as Victoria chases it's fifth Ladyship Mile in the
past six years.
Of the five contenders, all bar Lagoon Lady are Harold
Park winners, but of course she'll only be making her maiden voyage to New
South Wales this weekend.
The Peter Manning-trained Lagoon Lady (gate two) and
Lombo La Fe Fe (gate five) are drawn to duel for the early lead with the likely
absence of the emergencies who've drawn gates one and three.
Following a seven month injury-enforced lay-off, the
Jayne Davies-trained Lombo La Fe Fe will be at peak after three runs back.
The 2002 Victorian Horse of the Year put the writing
on the wall with a last start second to Sassy Sarah in the Nevele R Mares
Classic at Geelong.
Davies and her partner Noel Alexander are no strangers
to success in this race have guided Tailamade Lombo to successive victories in
1998 and 1999.
Chris Alford, in the gig for those wins and Diamond
Debutante's 1992 triumph, will chase his fourth Ladyship Mile with Lombo La Fe
Fe.
Sassy Sarah (gate eight) and Nolarama (gate nine) have
both fared worse at the draw, but will relish an early speed duel amongst their
rivals.
Sassy Sarah, a 1:57.8 and 1:56.9 winner at her past
two starts, heads to Sydney with a 50% stake in her ownership still up for
grabs.
NSW bred Nolarama, the reigning Australian Mare of the
Year, returns North on the back of her second-placing behind Sokyola in the
Legends Mile at Moonee Valley.
A winner at 18 of her 29 starts, her popular trainer
Maree Caldow has her fingers crossed for a fast run mile.
The final member of the quintet, Petes Dream (gate
six), is striving to become the sixth horse to win a second Ladyship Mile.
Twelve months ago she delivered her trainers Garry
& Debbie Quinlan and their niece, star driver Jodi Quinlan, with their
first Group 1 success.
The
Ladyship Mile will be telecast live on SKY at 9pm (AEST) this Friday.
