Lammas smiles through the Ellerslie rain

[Chief Stipe]

Cameron Lammas is one participant not minding the inclement conditions prevailing at Ellerslie today, putting together an early double with wins in the first two races.

After taking an on-pace victory on Spindle in the opening race, Lammas adopted quite different tactics on Sandrine in the next, the Royal Descent Stakes. Midway through the 1600-metre fillies and mares’ race Sandrine was equal last, but at the business end had completed her own carnival double after winning in Rating 72 grade last Saturday.

Sandrine, a Savabeel mare from the Team Rogerson stable, claimed today’s race by half a length from Podravina, whose rider Johnathan Parkes opted for an inside run. By contrast Lammas took a wide passage, steadily working forward from the 600-metre mark to lodge a challenge 150 metres from home.

Podravina wasn’t stopping, but Sandrine proved too strong, despite not being entirely happy on a track that had been downgraded further to Slow8 after the firsat race.

“She didn’t really handle that ground, which is way wetter than what we had for the first race – it’s near enough to heavy now,” Lammas told www.theinformant.co.nz. “She’s very honest though and was never going to stop once I got her out wide in that slightly better ground.”

The four-year-old’s owner-breeder Joan Egan summed up the tactics adopted by Lammas. “Cameron had it worked out, get her to relax and save her energy for the other end of the race,” she said.

 

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