Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Six-year-old Rumour Has It, the only mare of the 18 runners who contested the two heats of the Nights Of Thunder at Gloucester Park on Friday night, stood out with an incredible victory in the first heat, the $23,000 Channel 7 Pace, and she looms as a major prospect in the $50,000 final next Friday night.
Rumour Has It, trained by Debra Lewis and driven by her husband Chris, was the $3 favourite who overcame a torrid run to beat the fast-finishing $7 fourth fancy Soho Dow Jones by a head.
Few horses recently have been strong enough to survive such fierce pressure and to go on and post a victory. But that’s what Rumour Has It, with Chris Lewis, with his usual calm reasoning, declaring: “She’s just a good horse. She is tough and very consistent.
“I thought we could still win, despite the pressure which obviously didn’t help our cause. She will tough it out and keep going. It got close on the line, but she was able to hold on.”
Rumour Has It, began well from barrier No. 2 but was unable to cross the polemarker and $4.80 chance Stamford, who defied considerable pressure in the first lap in which the opening 400m section was covered in a slick 27.3sec. with three runners, Stamford, Rumour Has It and $4 chance Jawsoflincoln locked together, three abreast after 550m.
With Lewis refusing to yield to the pressure applied by Jawsoflincoln (who raced three wide throughout) the opening quarter was followed by two 29sec. 400m sections before the final quarter was run in 29.7sec., with Rumour Has It rating 1.53.7.
Rumour Has It, was the third fastest qualifier for the final, with the five horses following her home (Soho Dow Jones, Tiger Royal, Alcopony, Ardens Horizon and Jawsoflincoln) all earning a start in the final field of nine.
Lewis will await the outcome of the barrier draw before deciding to drive either Rumour Has It or the Katja Warwick-trained All Is Well, who was the second fastest qualifier, beaten a head by Chal Patch in the second heat.
“All Is Well is going very nicely, and I’ll wait until the barrier draw,” said Lewis who has driven All Is Well at his past 14 starts and at 22 of his past 23 appearances.
Rumour Has It, is in peak form and her six starts in her current campaign have produced four wins, a second and a fourth placing. “She has always been a good horse and she should already be a $200,000-plus earner but for her problems,” Lewis said.
Rumour Has It now has earned $150,703 from 12 wins and eight placings from 28 starts. She is unbeaten at her three starts over 1730m.
Mitch Miller, who drove Soho Dow Jones perfectly in the one-out, one-back position, was pleased with the gelding’s effort, but said that the honours were with Rumour Has It, who put up an awesome performance.
Jawsoflincoln, trained by Justin Prentice and driven by Gary Hall Jnr, fought on grandly after racing wide throughout to finish sixth at his first start for seven months. He was the ninth and final qualifier for the final.