by mighty_tiger_79 » Tue May 08, 2007 4:55 pm
SUPERSTAR stayer Lucy’s Light has been retired.
The Flying Penske-Sheza Swifty bitch, owned by Helen Ivers and trained by Elaine Williamson, was to have made her comeback to racing in a 600m Best 8 at Albion Park on Thursday night.
However, Williamson has been battling a problem with the bitch over the past month.
“We trialled her at Ipswich on Thursday morning over 630m and she went great, but when we put her up the straight on Sunday morning she pulled up holding a leg in the air,†said Elaine’s husband Bevan.
“She was going to have her swansong in the Gold Cup at Albion Park this year, so by the time we got her right again and brought her back, that would have been long over.
“In consultation with Helen we thought it best to retire her now.â€
Lucy’s Light turns four this Sunday, and retires with a remarkable record of 30 wins from 50 starts with 22 of those 30 wins at Albion Park.
She will best be remembered for her 41.60 Albion Park 710m track record, held from July 13 last year until lowered by her great rival Miss Brook last Thursday night.
“She gave us some out our greatest thrills in racing, and a couple of our biggest disappointments,†said Bevan.
“We felt she was in a position to win the Gold Cup last year but was flattened. I know Paul Felgate will argue with us over that, but that’s what we felt.â€
(Felgate’s Miss brook went on to win that Gold Cup after Lucy’s Light, already into third around the first turn, was flattened and dropped back to last.)
Williamson said the bitch had come back as good as ever in this campaign.
She will head home to Ivers’ NSW property for a career at stud. The bitch is from one of the best litters bred in this country in recent years.
Her littermates included NSW greyhound of the year Texas Gold and multiple Group winner Quidame who also has just been retired to stud.
Matty Wade is a star and deserves more respect from the forum family!