By Duane Ranger
The mare that was named after the character ‘Fizz’ on Coronation Street can notch up her eighth career win at Cambridge Raceway tonight.
Fizzi Lizzi goes into the $7,000 Furnware Industries Bodyfurn Handicap for the R60 and faster pacers with a nice workout win at ‘The Raceway’ on Saturday.
“She’s a reliable little mare who steps well and doesn’t have a problem sitting parked. Back-marker Bettor Spirits (35m) will be the toughest to beat and even though she’s beaten some of those old claimers before, it’s never a given from 25 metres behind,”Hamilton-based MacKenzie said.
He said he was delighted with where the McArdle mare was at, but half expected her to win her Workout last Saturday.
“She’s had a few niggles in recent seasons and all four of my wins this season have come via her.
“I gave her a couple of weeks off and she has come back nice and strong. I would have been a bit surprised had she not won on Saturday,” Mackenzie said.
James Stormont will drive her on Thursday but Kyle Marshall did a good job of steering her to a one-and-a-half length victory over Sypda in Saturday’s 2200m mobile for the R51 and faster pacers.
Fizzi Lizzi currently has a R88 rating brought largely on by her three consecutive wins at Cambridge Raceway in November and December.
On Saturday she stopped the clock (off the front) in 2:47.1 (mile rate 2:02.2) and came home in 58.8 and 29 even.
“The small field (eight) should help her, but in saying that the speeds they go up front these days turns a 25m handicap into 40m.
“I know she can step okay and she loves the track and distance and is race-fit, so yes I think she can go close,” the Waikato horseman said.
Three of Fizzi Lizzi’s four wins this season have been over Thursday’s 2700m distance, and five of her of seven wins have come at Cambridge, including three over the distance. Her standing start record is also impressive: 6-3-2.
“She’s the only one I’ve got in work. I’m also breaking in a Bettor’s Delight youngster,” said Mackenzie who works Fizzi Lizzi on the Tuhikaramea galloping track.
The mare copped her name thanks to Myross Bush breeder Debbie Smith, who loves watching Jennie McAlpine – the actress who plays ‘Fizz’ on Coronation Street.
Smith and her husband Mark have owned and operated Shard Farm Standardbreds since March 2004. They have put thousands of hours into their breeding empire, but Smith (Debbie) admits she was in and out of the Fizzi Lizzi breed within a month.
“We bought the mare, Averil’s Atom (by Soky’s Atom) privately off Sylvia Purdue after the Sales. That wasn’t long after Sylvia’s husband John passed away. Mark O’Connor bought her and then bred from her after we had her for about a month.
“The only horse we bred from the mare was Fizzi Lizzi but we then sold her as a weanling to Rod,” Smith said.
Fizzi Lizzi is owned by MacKenzie, Jaymz Mackenzie-Hooper, Catherine Smith, and Nancey Taylor.
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