LUCYMAI and Eljaddaaf completed a fine one-two for the stable at Kempton this evening in the thirteen-runner 7f handicap.
The winner was completing her hat-trick following two impressive wins at Chelmsford and defied a wide draw (12) to beat her older stablemate under the yard’s apprentice, Jack Duern.
The 5yo Multiplex mare was held up in the rear but made good progress on the outside two furlongs from home and came with a winning run to stay on strongly and beat the seven-year-old Eljaddaaf by a length.
This was an impressive performance from an in-form mare who had gone up 10lbs and 6lbs for her last two wins. She is sure to go up again but on the evidence of today’s win, the 87-rated 10/1 shot could well be up to defying another rise. Relatively lightly raced with just sixteen races to date, she has an impressive strike rate, having won five times, all on the all-weather with three wins at Chelmsford and two at Kempton. Congratulations to winning owner, Roger Beadle, who looks to have a very progressive mare on his hands.
Eljaddaaf came into the race in form, having been second last time out at Kempton over six furlongs. He too went into the race, rated 87 and like Lucymai, has a good wins to runs ratio, having been successful in six of his previous 23 starts.
The son of Shamardal, who went off at 6/1, was settled in the rear by Robert Winston but snaked his way through to come up the inside rail and grab the runner-up spot in the last strides. This was another good run and surely his turn should not be far away.
Harper Lodge Farm has enjoyed a good start to 2018 with three wins, six seconds and two thirds from sixteen runs.