Winning Return For Lady Kipling

Lady Kipling’s class was apparent when she successfully returned to racing at Hastings Saturday afternoon. The daughter of Savabeel looked well-placed against Rating 70 opposition and, despite not parading at peak fitness, she was too good for her rivals over 1400 metres.

Trained at Cambridge by Murray Baker, she raced with great credit against the best of her age group last season with a Gr 1 placing in the Levin Classic and she was also fourth against the older horses in the Gr 3 Tauranga Stakes. She is now the winner of three of her 13 starts after her purchase by Baker out of Windsor Park Stud’s 2009 Select Sale line-up for $62,500.

Lady Kipling is out of the Al Akbar mare Akela who won four races and was Gr 3 placed in the Fayette Park and Cuddle Stakes. She is a grand-daughter of the former top racemare and Gr 3 Eulogy Stakes winner Sylvaner from the family of the Gr 1 Ellerslie Sires’ Produce Stakes winner All Glory.

Ridden by Lisa Allpress, Lady Kipling settled midfield on the rail after a tardy start and showed a good turn of foot when she was angled clear half-way down the straight. “I was sweating on a run a bit as three back on the fence isn’t the best place to be but she’s pretty smart,” Allpress said. “She’;s still quite gross and will improve a lot.”