| Brilliant mare Lazzura scored a brilliant and most deserved win at racing’s elite level on Saturday sweeping the $1 million Group One Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill. |
| Already an earner of over $1 million and a four time stakes winner, Lazzura ($5) was able to let her class do the talking and score a strong win over Arctic Glamour ($13) and Vivy Air ($26). The brilliant daughter of Snitzel settled well off the speed and wide, but produced a brilliant sustained sprint in the straight to win. Connections, led by trainer Chris Waller, were delighted that the stable favourite was able to notch a Group One victory. “Well deserved, that’s for sure,” Waller said. “She’s been running around some very good horses without a lot of luck going her way.” “I think we just had her a bit underdone first-up and we rode her perhaps a pair too close. Today we didn’t panic from the draw, we just went back and got cover three-wide.” “She carried a big weight today, and she hasn’t had a lot go her way in Group Ones bouncing against some pretty handy horses throughout her career.” “She got there so easily, I thought the last two hundred metres was going to be a long two hundred, to her determination she stuck it out really well.” “James (McDonald) said pre-race, and we all agreed, just ride her conservative today. She seems to let go a lot better when you hold her up and let her go.” “She will probably go to the Queen Of The Turf or the Doncaster. I’ll speak to the Suraces (owners) and see what they say.” “I’ve got a philosophy that horses don’t just win one Group One. If they’re good enough to win one, they normally win two or three.” James McDonald made sure he paid credit to Lazzura who he said was again all heart in the big race win. “She tries,” McDonald said. “It wasn’t me, it was her just really biting down on the mouthguard and having a really decent crack.” “I thought she was all out with 100 metres to go, but just that will to find the line it’s something you just can’t teach them, you can’t train in them. They’ve either just got it and we’re lucky we’ve got a few mares like that.” “The mares are so good, when the tough gets going they get going. She had to break a weight carrying record, obviously Sunline. She’s no Sunline but she tries.” “Super proud of her, super proud for the connections. They put a lot into the game and they deserve the success they get.” A daughter of former Arrowfield Stud based champion sire Snitzel, Lazzura was a $500,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy for her owners, B2B Thoroughbreds. The mare is one of three winners, from three to race, for the Japanese winning Heart’s Cry mare Laguna Azzurra. Laguna Azzurra, who was successful at 1800 metres, is a half sister to multiple Group Three winner Seewind and the stakes placed Seidig Meer. She is from the triple stakes winner Silky Lagoon (Brian’s Time). Earlier on the Rosehill card the exciting juveniles Pembrey and Warwoven staked their claims for next Saturday’s Golden Slipper with their respective wins in the Magic Night and Pago Pago Stakes’. Both were graduates of last year’s Gold Coast Yearling Sale and connections are looking at both backing up in the world’s richest juvenile race in seven days. Winner: Lazzura Breeding: Snitzel-Laguna Azzurra (Heart’s Cry) Race: ATC Coolmore Classic G1 (1500m) Sold for: $500,000 Sale: 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Earnings: $1,591,070 Breeder: Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd, Jungle Pocket Pty Ltd Vendor: Arrowfield Stud Buyer: B2B Thoroughbreds Owners: B2B Thoroughbreds P/L (Mgr: R Surace & RCS Surace) Trainer: Chris Waller (Rosehill) |
