The Chris Waller stable doesn’t expect to see the best of juvenile filly Lazzura until at least the spring, so her effort to bank a black-type success in the Woodlands Stakes at Scone has been a happy bonus.
A $500,000 Magic Millions purchase, the daughter of Snitzel scored an impressive debut win at Kembla Grange last month and the horse she edged out, Megastar Heart, franked the form with a metropolitan win on Wednesday.
Despite stepping straight up to Listed level in the Woodlands Stakes (1100m) on Saturday, Lazzura was well supported to start an even-money favourite and got the job done in style.
“It’s obviously not easy to do, going from a provincial race straight into black type company, but while she only won by the narrowest of margins, it’s clear to see that with racing, she’ll improve,” Waller’s assistant Charlie Duckworth said.
“She is a really promising filly for (owner) Ricky Surace.
“I remember ringing the day before she won her maiden and saying, ‘look, whatever we get out of her tomorrow will be a bonus’ and then she won that day and now has won again.
“She will be a much better three-year-old than what she is now, but we’ll take it and it’s good to get some black type with both fillies running today.”
Lazzura ($2 fav) came from back in the field and made up many lengths in the straight to edge out Satin Stiletto ($16), who kicked strongly when challenged, with the winner’s stablemate Let’s Go Barbie ($6.50) finishing third to also notch a valuable stakes placing.
Tommy Berry was the winning jockey and like Duckworth, he predicted a bright future for Lazzura.
“I rode her (in trackwork) on Monday and she is so untapped,” Berry said.
“She is very raw at the moment and I love the way she adapted to the race. I copped a prat halfway down the side and I’ve had to come back with her, but she came back to me, switched on well and she had the race won a long way out.”
The Woodlands Stakes has a strong history of producing quality horses having been a career launchpad for the likes of two-time Group 1 winner In Secret (2022) and multiple Group 1 placegetter Libertini.
