Racing: Eyes focus on mare in stakes

After failing at her last two starts, Lookatmelads bounced back to winning form in the $30,000 Tui Brewery Wairarapa Breeders Stakes at Tauherenikau yesterday.

Trained at Otaki by Howie and Lorraine Mathews and ridden by Daryl Bradley, Lookatmelads won in a fashion far belying her odds of 22 to one at the Wairarapa Racing Club's meeting.

With favourite Barcelona setting most of the pace she was back in midfield through most of the 1600m journey and it was only in the last 200m that Bradley asked to her to do her best.

She quickly joined the leading group and overtook Abit Rusty and Santoya, both of whom were always in the leading division.

A five-year-old by Chapel College, Lookatmelads was having her 16th race start and now has the usefeul record of five wins and five minor placings.

There was drama at the start of the other feature , the $15,000 Lavender's Green Country over 2050m.

Cambridge visitor Chatwin, trained by former Olympian Mark Todd, lost her rider Vanessa Johnson just as the horses left the barrier. Neither Chatwin nor Johnson was injured.

Winner of the event was the Maroof four-year-old Meggido, who was registering her third win.

She was ridden by Matt Cameron and finished too strongly for All Square and Zhukov.

- NZPA