GOLD CROWN
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By ANYA WHITELAW
SHE had to wait some 25 minutes to receive confirmation, but when Jayne Davies' Aussie Made Lombo was given the all clear as the winner of the 2010 Bathurst Gold Tiara Final (1730 metres), the Clyde trainer added to her remarkable strike rate at the annual carnival.
In taking out Saturday night's Group One two-year-old fillies title, Davies made it a total of four Gold Tiara victories, two Gold Crown wins and one Gold Bracelet success in the years she has been attending the Bathurst carnival.
As Aussie Made Lombo was first across the line in the $100,000 classic at the Bathurst Paceway then survived a subsequent protest from the connections of second placed Vertigal, she added to the Gold Tiaras Davies had already won with Lombo La Fe Fe (2002), Nemeeshar (2003) and Amongst Royalty (2006).
What made this win special for Davies was not only that Aussie Made Lombo came from the extreme outside of the second row as a $47 long shot, but that the filly's mother was Tailamade Lombo.
Davies trained Tailamade Lombo to the Australian Mare of the Year title in 1999 and 2000 and when she retired in 2002, she did so having earned $1,354,978 in prize money.
"It was pretty sentimental this win because I trained her mother, she was an absolutely brilliant mare and we loved her very much," Davies said.
"This girl is the spitting image of her and we hope she can do half as well as her mother."
Chris Alford was in the gig for a majority of Tailamade Lombo's successes and on Saturday night he was again the man Davies had for the driving duties.
It was Sheezallattitude from Menangle trainer Felicity Gallagher's stables that started as the $1.70 favourite on the back of an impressive heat win and barrier two draw, but the Art Major filly suffered a massive blow when galloping on the first turn.
Sheezallattitude had looked liked leading before striking trouble, so instead it was Dennis Picker's Sounds So Good that guided the field down the back straight for the first time.
Miss Worthy Whitby, the filly who had beaten Aussie Made Lombo in the Gold Tiara heats eight days earlier, was then urged forward into the lead by The Lagoon trainer-driver Steve Turnbull and on the bell she held a three-quarters of a length advantage over second elect Leilani Lombo ($3.80).
As the field headed down the back after a 61.2 seconds first half Sheezallattitude tried a three wide move and after temporarily sitting in fourth, again came hunting three-wide into the final bend. The effort told as she eventually ran seventh.
Miss Worthy Whitby led the way home after a 29.8 third quarter and while it seemed as if her biggest threat would be Leilani Lombo a half length back on her outside, Vertigal and the Alford driven outsider were making their moves.
While David Thorn tried to get Vertigal ($7.90) through the tightly packed middle, Aussie Made Lombo ran wider on the track and took the honours by a half neck after the protest over interference was dismissed.
Third belong to Leilani Lombo, who eclipsed Miss Worthy Whitby but tired to finish 2m further back.
Rating 2:00.3 for the victory, Aussie Made Lombo continued an impressive opening to her career which has seen her with two wins and five second placings from seven starts.
