 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1998
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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| Jerry Tulley, Under Cover Lover and Graham Pearson after the win |
Only Tartan Lady was a match for Under Cover Lover in the Nevele R Stud New Zealand Oaks. Third placed Golden Charm was more than four lengths behind Tartan Lady who failed by a short neck to win the classic.
Although Tartan Lady picked up $12,000 instead of the $37,500 that went the way of Under Cover Lover, she did win on points. While Under Cover Lover spent most of the race in the clubhouse, Tartan Lady was busy in the field, parked second for the last lap. She got the better of pacemaker Natural Talker at the 100m, and during that operation, driver Anthony Butt was tacking across her back with Under Cover Lover. Quite late as it turned out, Under Cover Lover quickly levelled but little more, for a narrow but convincing win.
The only daughter of In The Pocket in the race, Under Cover Lover is raced by Jerry Tulley and Graham Pearson who will be on the road again after her Hydroflow Final on Friday night. She is expected in Bribane early in June to contest the heats of the Queensland Oaks, then down to Victoria for the heats of the $150,000 El Dorado Series in Mid July.
After that, a campaign in America. Pearson is serious about this, and so far Under Cover Lover has done nothing to put the trip in jeopardy. In February, Pearson booked in with the Bluegrass Staking Service, an organisation which selects suitable staking races and ensures payments are made when they fall due. So far Pearson and Tulley have spent $20,000 on races Bluegrass have Under Cover Lover staked for. This does not include the Breeders Crown later in the year which would mean a supplementary payment of $45,000.
After years of night work at the University to feed his hope of eventually doing his horses full-time, Pearson made the break two years ago. He was among the first to support In The Pocket, sending four mares when he first stood in New Zealand, yet Under Cover Lover is the only one he has. Of the first four he bred, one was sold to Australian trainer Ray Matthews, another to Michael House, and Catattack, a winner for John Lischner, was the other. The mares he sent next season did not produce live foals, and the following season the progeny from Vain Franco and Ice Queen, both by In The Pocket, were sold at the sales. His five weanlings this season are by Jaguar Spur, Soky's Atom, Safely Kept (2) and a half sister to Under Cover Lover by What's Next. This season, Tully has Vain Franco in foal to Armbro Operative, and Pearson has two in foal to Holmes Hanover and one to Safely Kept.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in NZHR Weekly