HORSE RACING - Cheers, tears as Ima Lady helps Bob steal the show

The day was in his memory, and even in death Bob Tait couldn't help but steal the show as his horse romped to victory.
The eyes of over 1500 spectators were on Ima Lady in the Island View Lodge 2100 race, part-owned by the late "king" of the Whangarei Racing Club who passed away earlier this year.
As the horse bolted from the gate, Tait's wife Glenise, son Blyth, and daughters Karen and Sandra yelled encouragement to jockey Trudy Thornton.
When the horses came to the last straight of the 2100-metre race, Ima Lady and Mamasan, from Cambridge, were neck and neck, with Hassi Messoud from Matamata hot on their heals.
As the horses crossed the line euphoric cheers went up from Tait relatives and friends, who witnessed Ima Lady win by a fraction.
Trainer Donna Logan said the "emotional win" had brought tears to her and Olympian Blyth's eyes.
"For Bob to organise a win like that is really emotional. We wouldn't have wanted any horse to win as much as Ima Lady. What a wonderful way to honour Bob's memory, he would have been really proud," she said.
Another noticeable figure missing from the races was jockey Michael Howard, who remains in intensive care in Auckland City Hospital with serious head injuries after falling down a bluff in north Taranaki while pig hunting.
Raewyn McDonald, the Ruakaka owner of Sir Cayden who raced in the Waipu Hotel 1400, said she and the co-owners had hoped Howard would be riding their horse.
Sir Cayden made his debut with Michael Coleman, but Howard took the reins in his second run, and they hoped Howard would jockey again at yesterday's meet.
"Michael Howard did an excellent job with Sir Cayden last time so we're all thinking of him and hoping he'll get better. It's not my place to dedicate the race to him but we wish him the best," Mrs McDonald said.
The feature race of the day, the Stoney Bridge Triple Crown Point series for 2-year-olds, also ended with a nail-biting finish, with two horses from Pukekohe Park, Rough Odds and Onesong, battling with Discretion from Cambridge for the finish line.
Rough Odds ridden by Mark Hills crossed the line first, with Discretion and Onesong following.
The Whangarei Racing Club committee announced they would make the Bob Tait Memorial Race an annual event.
Committee member Mike Beazley said the race "was in recognition of everything Bob did for the club".
Yesterday Mrs Tait handed over a trophy to trainer Richard Otto from Te Awamutu, who trained Mr Investor who took out the Bob Tait Memorial Cup 1400 race, ridden by Leith Innes.
Secretary for the racing club, Karen Houlihan, said the betting profits for the day had been better than budgeted, with over $1 million in off-course turnover and $140,000 on-course turnover.