Mother-to-be Lady Kipling (NZ) is in a race against time to add a richly deserved Group 1 victory to her record with the Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day at Ellerslie.

The Savabeel mare has finished fourth in the last two runnings of the event to go with minor placings at the highest level in the Thorndon Mile, Captain Cook Stakes, Otaki-Maori WFA Classic, Levin Classic and the NZ TBA Stakes.

Now in foal to Rip Van Winkle, Lady Kipling showed she was ready to make the most of the opportunity when she claimed the G3 Eagle Technology Stakes at Ellerslie on Saturday.

“She’s just a very good horse and so honest,” co-trainer Murray Baker said.  “She’s been a beautiful mare to train and if they were all like her it would be easy.  She’s another Savabeel and they are terrific horses.

“There’s the Zabeel Classic or the Thorndon Mile – but she will have weight in the Thorndon and that makes it very hard for a mare.”

Lady Kipling (6m Savabeel – Akela by Al Akbar) was given a dream trip by Leith Innes one off the fence and they came with a perfectly timed run to beat Postmans Daughter (Postponed).

“She’s got a terrific finish and she’s an easy horse to ride and you can put her where you want,” Baker said.  “Leith rode her beautifully and two class mares fought out the finish.”

Lady Kipling was likely to round off her preparation for the Zabeel Classic in the G2 Cal Isuzu Stakes at Te Rapa in a fortnight.  She beat the top-class Shez Sinsational to win the event two years ago.

Bred by Windsor Park Stud and the Alchemy Family Trust, she was a $62,5000 buy for Baker at the 2009 NZB National Select yearling sale.