Roots may not be at the top of the pecking order of three-year-old fillies in the Chris Waller stable, but there looks to be a stakes win in the not too distant future for the Press Statement filly. On Wednesday, she came with a barnstorming finish to down her elders over 1200m at Warwick Farm.
The leading trainer has the exciting Espiona, Hinged and Fangirl ready to do battle in Saturday’s Group II Light Fingers Stakes at Randwick.
The decision to start the campaign off at Warwick Farm, some 19-weeks after her previous start over 1600m at Randwick, paid off for Roots. James McDonald came with a sweeping run down the outside of the track to defeat Major Time (Epaulette) by one and a quarter lengths with Geo (Medaglia d’Oro) a half-head back in third.
After debuting with a win in a well-contested maiden at Goulburn last September, Roots ran stablemate Fangirl to half a length in the Listed Reginald Allen Quality at Randwick.
Stable foreman Charlie Duckworth said the stable holds the Press Statement filly in high regard.
“She might have to face the nicer fillies sooner than we thought,” he said.
“It was terrific to come from so far back, make up a massive amount of ground and let down with a really strong sprint.
“It is fantastic for the owners who are relatively new to the Chris Waller system.
“They will get a massive thrill out of that and when she gets to some black-type races it will be more exciting.
‘She will get a mile, but I am not sure further than that. We will see how the prep develops, and it’s a privilege to have her in the stable.”
McDonald does not doubt that Roots will measure up to the better fillies.
“She got caught a little flat-footed but did exceptionally well to pick them up as easy as she did,” McDonald said.
“She is a proper filly and will measure up against the better fillies, no doubt about that. She has scope to improve and is a good quality filly.”
Roots holds nominations for the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) and the Group 1 ATC Australian Oaks at Randwick on April 9.
A lovely cut of a filly, Roots was a $52,000 purchase for Yugengaisha Murakami Kinya Bokujo on the recommendation of bloodstock agent Satomi Oka, from the Vinery Stud draft at the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale Highway Session.
She is a half-sister to Gary Portelli’s well-performed Headwater mare Arctic Thunder who won at Randwick last weeks.
The pair are out of the Big Brown (USA) mare Arctic Success who has a 2yo Star Turn filly named Star Mistress in the Waterhouse/Bott stable, and a yearling colt by Star Turn catalogued for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. (lot 54).
A half-sister to Golden Slipper winner Polar Success (Success express), Arctic Success was covered by Exceedance last spring.
Press Statement is a very solid stallion, although he could do with a headline horse and Roots may be it.
“She got caught a little flat-footed but did exceptionally well to pick them up as easy as she did,” McDonald said.
“She is a proper filly and will measure up against the better, fillies, no doubt about that. She has scope to improve and is a good quality filly.
