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By Tony Megahey

Expecting horse or human to live up to a celebrated namesake is inviting disappointment, but precocious filly Lady Kah has delivered in style and promises more as favourite into a Kembla TAB Highway on Saturday.

Unbeaten and of course, named after the gifted premiership and multiple Group-winning rider Jamie Kah, the three-year-old progresses from a dominant winning double for Goulburn’s Longmire twins, Emma and Lucy, into a Class 3, $120,000, 1400m, support to a booming $1 million The Gong Raceday.

The compelling form around Lady Kah (heavily backed from $7 into $4.40 fav on TAB) is after blitzing a modest Goulburn maiden, she jumped grades to a Class 3 and again proved far too good.

Lady Kah and Amy McLucas score in style at Goulburn. Image by Bradley Photographers

Traditionally it’s considered difficult enough progressing from maiden to a class 1.

So Twin Star Racing, Highway originals, have one hot prospect.

Into the bargain she opposes numerous Highway failures, drawn ideally and advantaged by the 3kg claim off 55kg for their star apprentice Amy McLucas.

Diminutive Amy McLucas has won three recent Highway races and rode Lady Kah for her powerful last start success at home.

“She’s a talent, we didn’t expect so much so soon and there were sentimental reasons when we raced out of her grade,” mum of four Emma explained. Lucy has two children.

“That race was the Guy Walter Memorial; Lucy worked for Guy for a lot of years starting us out training, I pre-trained and rode work for Guy.

“So it was a race we dearly wanted to win. We were so nervous that day when there were more suitable races.

“But it was such special occasion.”

Guy who died of heart failure in 2014 was racing respect personified. The Duporth protégé was named after Jamie Kah on the suggestion of French-born trainer Phillipe Vigouroux.

“He knows the filly and the breeding, has her half-brother named after the champion French jockey Christophe Lamaire.”

Meanwhile, an established Sydney jockey was never considered with the original 55kg for Lady Kah.

“No, Amy is our stable apprentice, riding just super, she’s won on her, has the understanding and the claim brings us in with just 52kg. Amy’s won three of these Highway races of late and where we’re drawn (barrier 2) she’s really positive.”

Amy was on loan to John Thompson at Randwick but became homesick: “Sydney didn’t work for Amy but she still travels up and rides a couple of days trackwork for Gai Waterhouse, so that tells you something.”

Emma, on home parental and stable duty, will be watching from Goulburn with Lucy and Amy the raceday travel and responsibilities.

The Gong Raceday is another massive provincial occasion following last week’s the $1m The Hunter in Newcastle. At present Kembla is a Good 4 with little or no rain forecast for the remainder of the week.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Kembla Grange here