Southlands harness racings Diamond Day at Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill today, dodged a bullet when the predicted heavy rain never materalised but the very strong winds forecast were present.

The programme was opened by the $22,000 Diamond Creek two year old pace which featured the star All Stars juvenile Lazarus who didn't disappoint anyone with an outstanding performance.

Last early from barrier seven in the small field, driver Tim Williams was content to sit there for the first 600 metres before launching Lazarus around the field and taking control from the early leader Three Ways and Shane Walkinshaw with 1200 metres to go.

Dictatating the tempo from there, Tim was looked in the eye down the back by Envious with Dexter Dunn in the bike.

Passing the 400 metres Tim gave Lazarus his head and the rest of the field were immediately in trouble.

The further they went the bigger the gap became and at the finish Lazarus was out by 2 ½ lengths from a game Three Ways with the rest headed by the debutante Franco Rayner a further 7 ¾ lengths away in third.

Lazarus paced the 2200 metres in the very windy conditions in 2:47 with the last 800 metres in 58.9 and 400 metres in 27.9.

Tim Williams was impressed by the son of Bettors Delight.

“ He did that really easily in the end.”

“ I didn't want to lead in that wind but when they eased the pace near the mile, I thought it better to take luck out of the equation and lead.

“ He was cruising on the corner and just did what he had to in the straight,” Tim said.

Todays win was the fourth for Lazarus from just five starts as a two year old and took his earnings so far this season to $70,800.

Lazarus looms as a major player in all the big two year classics coming up.

Harnesslink Media