Lulana books Oaks trip with dominant victory

Lulana (American Ideal)  has won her way into Arna Donnelly’s southern assault team but without all that many options when she gets there.

The highly-talented harness racing filly was the second half of an Alexandra Park book-end job for Donnelly when she bolted away with the last on the card after Signman had won the opener.

Arna Donnelly bookends the Alexandra Park programme with another impressive 3YO ✨

Lulana had the beaut trip behind the leader and let her class show with Andre Poutama in the sulky.

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The win continued a strong start to Lulana’s spring after she has split War Party and Allamericanplayer in a strong field in her comeback.

She was dominant in a mobile mile on Friday albeit having to dodge an early galloper before trailing.

When Andre Poutama asked Lulana to sprint she did so quickly and while runner-up Secret Beach was excellent storming home, the winner has a touch of class.

“She has matured both physically and mentally since her last campaign,” says her Cambridge trainer.

“She is turning into a nice big strong filly so she has earned her shot at a race like the New Zealand Oaks.”

The only problem for Lulana is she is not staked for anything else so Donnelly says the Oaks will be her main target as she travels along with stablemate Nazare.

“She might have a Metro heat and Final here and then after the Oaks she will have the Golden Gait back here at Alexandra Park.

“She will go down south and join Nazare who has the Sophomore and then ultimately the Derby,” says Donnelly but she warns Signman will stay closer to home.

He was good enough to push Jumal to a neck in the Harness Million Three-Year-Old back in March but showed he still has a fair bit to learn when he started to gawk around on his way to winning Art Major Metro Pace heat on Friday.

“I thought he was going to win by two to three lengths but he started to muck around so there will be some gear added there,” Donnelly says of Signman.

“But I don’t think he will go south, he can stay up here.”

The Friday night meeting saw a treble for the Barry Purdon/Scott Phelan team highlighted by Fly High coming from a seemingly impossible position to win one of the most spirited Nevele R Fillies heats you will ever see, with Rule The Waves attacked multiple times and left a sitting duck for the passing lane swoop of Fly High.

But the winner still had to be very good as she joined Cyclone Miki and Mamas Wish as impressive stable winners.

One of the more touching stories was Inasinglemoment back in the winner’s circle in only her second start back since she won the Northern Trotting Derby in May of 2024, after which she was retired, had a foal and is now back to work.

She trailed and won well for Tony Cameron a night after his 200th career driving victory while Tim Hall also made it a double inside 26 hours when Skee Princess won her minor trot on Friday a day after So Mystifying won at Cambridge, no small feat for a trainer with a small team.

For complete race results, click here.

by Michael Guerin, for Harness Racing New Zealand