Racing: Eulogy Stakes combatants to meet again

Veronica Franco will attempt to lower Katie Lee's colours for a second time when the two fillies clash in the Royal Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.

Veronica Franco got up late to grab Katie Lee just short of the line in the group three Eulogy Stakes at Awapuni on Saturday.

Katie Lee will have a run before that, in the Eight Carat Classic (1600m), a race sponsored by her owners Sir Patrick and Justine, Lady Hogan, at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

Roger James, who trains Veronica Franco with Paul Mirabelli, conceded he did not think his filly could beat Katie Lee before the race but thought she would be competitive.

"It's six weeks since her last race so that makes the effort even better," James told the Sunday Star-Times.

Veronica Franco has had three wins from just four starts as a 3-year-old, with her trainers giving her plenty of time to mature.

"I've found that a lot of staying fillies who are physically immature are mentally immature as well. But it comes to them all eventually if you cotton-wool them," said James.

The filly, bought for $80,000, stalked Katie Lee down the straight, with jockey Chad Ormsby judging the moment when to pounce expertly. The winning margin was half a neck, with two lengths back to the promising Adulterer, also from the James-Mirabelli stable.

Katie Lee was ridden handily on Saturday and Opie Bosson admitted to connections that he asked the filly to sprint too early in the straight.

"Opie told me he went too soon, but he said when he kicked her, she took off," said Graeme Rogerson, who trains the filly in partnership with his wife, Debbie.

He said Katie Lee would not run again on a wet track. Awapuni was rated dead, on the cusp of slow.

The star filly, who claimed the One Thousand-Two Thousand Guineas double last month, was also galloped on during the race and had a couple of cuts on her back legs.

- NZPA