The Bernard Lomas-trained four-year-old broke through for her first harness racing victory in The Workers of the Workout Committee Handicap Trot on Tuesday.
The victory came almost a year to the day (364 days to be precise) since Senior Constable Liz’s mother The Gardener’s Pride won her first race, also for Lomas, in Otaki, 200 kilometers away.
Senior Constable Liz’s first win came in bib number 26, while The Gardener’s Pride’s first win was her 38th career start.
“Both mother and daughter have done very well for me,” said Lomas, who also bred and raced the two mares.
Burnham-based Lomas, a hobby trainer and “a gardener all my life”, made the decision to breed The Gardener’s Pride when she was sidelined from racing.
“Pridey had a tendon done so I thought I would get her pregnant.”
Senior Constable Liz was born in 2021 and subsequently named after Lomas’ sister Liz, who died of cancer about two years ago.
“My sister loved The Gardener’s Pride and her rank was Senior Constable, so I asked her if I could name the horse after her.”
“She was very happy with it.”
SENIOR CONSTABLE LIZ REPEAT
In 2024, Lomas took both Senior Constable Liz and The Gardener’s Pride to Otaki.
“Otaki was my home track growing up as a kid and I hadn’t been there since 1991.”
From a large family, Lomas showed up enough in Otaki to support him and the experience was such that he decided to repeat the trip to the Central Districts this year and race in Hawera.
The Gardener’s Pride was left at home while recovering from an injury in the paddock, so it was only “Lizzie”, Bernard and his dog ANZAC who headed north.
“For us, it’s all a tiki tour – it’s my vacation right now.”
The Lomas roadshow now heads to Taupo for the first ever harness meeting there, where Senior Constable Liz will line up in Race 3, the February/March Skyline Packages at Sale Trot (12.30pm).
Through Dave Di Sommafor Harness News Desk
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