Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Lightly-raced five-year-old mare Rumour Has It looks set for a successful campaign after she overcame considerable early pressure and went on to set the pace and win the 2130m Hoist Torque Australia Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She was the $1.80 favourite from the No. 1 barrier and she had to be driven hard by Chris Lewis to defy the $2.60 second fancy Master Yossi, who began speedily and led by almost a length over the first 350m before Dylan Egerton-Green was forced to give up his spirited challenge for the lead.
Rumour Has It then was able to relax and was able to coast through the opening quarters in 31.,2sec. and 30.7sec., while Master Yossi was in the breeze.
Lewis increased the tempo and Rumour Has It dashed over the final 800m in 56.5sec. and beat Master Yossi by just under a length, rating 1.57.2.
This was Rumour Has It’s third appearance after a ten-month absence. It was only her 21ST start and it improved her record to eight wins (six of them when leading), five seconds and one third for earnings of $92,119 for trainer Debra Lewis.
“I’m pleased with her; she is coming back nicely,” said Chris Lewis. “To survive that early pressure was really good. She has had a few issues along the way. She cracked a hind foot when she jumped a gate at our stables As a two-year-old, and since then she has had some unrelated feet issues.”
Rumour Has It is by American stallion Roll With Joe and is out of the Christian Cullen mare Roustabout, who raced 12 times for four wins, two placings and $33,171. She won twice (at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park) from eight starts in WA in 2006.
Rumour Has It is a half-sister to Arousing (110 starts for 11 wins, 32 placings and $119,663), Loving You (59 starts for ten wins, 20 placings and $97,229) and Just A Horse (158 starts for ten wins, 28 placings and $77,334).