The demanding two-year-old program Away Game followed six years ago is uncommon these days, hence Lady Catalina, daughter of the retired broodmare, has eased into racing more patiently.
From eight two-year-old runs, Away Game secured four triumphs, including the 2020 Magic Millions Classic (1200m) and Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m), second to Farnan in the Golden Slipper (1200m), and fifth place in the Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) versus older rivals.
Conversely, Written Tycoon filly Lady Catalina, her pioneering racing progeny, tackles start number two in Saturday’s HMAS Sydney Handicap (1100m) over Randwick.
During Away Game’s juvenile campaign, Ciaron Maher’s Sydney foreman Johann Gerard-Dubord joined the stable and affirmed Lady Catalina’s slower maturation hasn’t dimmed her talent.
“She is a very different horse to Away Game. Away Game was very natural, very early,” Gerard-Dubord said.
“By this time of year, she’d had plenty of racing already.
“We’ve taken our time with Lady Catalina. She is a beautiful filly. She has changed a lot physically, she has grown. She has been in work a long time because we wanted to take her to the trials and the races when she was ready for it.”
She claimed a 900m maiden at Newcastle March 31, positioned off the speed before claiming victory in the run home.
Exposed beyond her best for portions of the sprint, the Randwick rise to 1100m promises improvement.
“Funnily enough, even though she had been showing us a lot of speed, she was actually at her top for most of the way there and late she was good, so stepping up to 1100 will be no issue,” Gerard-Dubord said.
“We gave her a tick over trial last week where I thought she was very good. She was just there to have a good day out and trialled very nicely.”
Success here positions her for a crack at stakes level in the Listed Woodlands Stakes (1100m) at Scone in three weeks.
Owned by Resolute Racing’s John Stewart, Lady Catalina delivered Maher’s first win for the American investor on debut.
Check betting markets for the race ahead of the HMAS Sydney Handicap.
