Racing: Lisa Cropp personifies Lady Luck with rich double

John Powell and his family hit town yesterday and went home with their pockets bulging after Baldessarini completed his rise to the top with victory in the Waiwera Infinity Railway Handicap at Ellerslie.

Not only did the Taihape sheep and beef farmer grab the lion's share of the $200,000 stake attached to New Zealand's richest handicap sprint.

His son Regan gave a clue to the added significance of the big win when he revealed that he was just one of those who had backed Baldessarini on the TAB's fixed-odds market at much longer odds than the $2.75 he paid yesterday.

"I backed him before he came up here and won last month and got him at $35. It's a nice bonus to be taking home," he revealed as Baldessarini returned to scale after narrowly downing Gee I Jane in the 1200m dash.

The win more than doubled Baldessarini's stake-earnings to a few thousand short of $200,000 and took his overall record to seven wins from 13 starts.

John Powell bred his showy sprinter from In Margaritaville, an American-bred mare he bought from Trelawney Stud in the early 1990s.

Several years ago he sent an earlier foal, Camacho, to the Herbert stable near Palmerston North and after several wins it was a natural follow-up to send the younger half-brother in the same direction.

The showy chestnut showed promise at an early stage but, as trainer Ann Herbert explained yesterday, it has only been this season that his talent has been fully harnessed.

"He wasn't quite getting things right mentally and physically," she said.

"But this year he came right. Every time he's gone to the races he's come home and eaten up."

While Herbert spoke admiringly of the horse that has won his last four races, his rider in each of those wins, Lisa Cropp, was effusive after completing the City of Auckland Cup-Railway double.

"I can't get over this horse how well he does everything," she said. "He was just joking with them and waiting for me to say go."

Despite the narrow margin over Gee I Jane, Cropp was adamant that her mount had the situation well under control.

Scott Seamer, who rode the runner-up, differed in so much as saying that Gee I Jane did not help herself when over-racing through the middle stages.

The surprise package of the race was original second ballot Pin Up Boy, who dug deep after setting the pace to cross the line in third place, less than a length from the winner.

Bets on topweight Sedecrem and Magistra Delecta were refunded when the pair were declared non-starters.

That arose from Magistra Delecta rearing sideways as the field was dispatched and affecting Sedecrem's starting gate on her outside.

Both horses hit the ground lengths behind the field and took no part.