Widden Stud raised and sold fillies Lazzago and Facile fought out the finish of the $250,000 Group II ATC Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday while race favourite Skirt the Law failed to fire.
The undefeated winner of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, Skirt the Law was a short priced favourite seeking to secure her place in the Golden Slipper, but was beaten with a furlong to run and trailed in to seventh place.
Facile worked to the front, but could not hold off the late charging run of the Chris Waller trained Lazzago, who chased hard for Hugh Bowman to snatch a narrow win.
“It was a lovely run last start and the first-up run was a win. Third-up, she's been building towards something solid and with Hugh back in town. It's very special, especially for this ownership group, Debbie Kepitis, Paul and the family,” said Chris Waller.
Lazzago can just cruise over the next few weeks having earned her place in the $4.9million Golden Slipper on March 18.
"We’ll just look after her, she's fit. Just maintenance, keep her happy. The usual drills that we do as people. Chill and keep the powder dry,” Waller added.
A $460,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Widden draft for Woppitt Bloodstock, Lazzago has the overall record of two wins and a fourth in the Inglis Millennium from three starts with prizemoney topping $323,000.
Bred by long time Widden Stud client Robert Anderson, Lazzago is from good metro winning Pins mare Lake Como, a half-sister to juvenile stakes-winner Taameer, the dam of two juvenile stakes-winners in Khulaasa and Bulbula, the dam of Group III VRC Ottawa Stakes winner Aryaaf.
It’s a family of precocious fast fillies and Lazzago fits the mould.
Widden Stud sold the half-brother by Epaulette to Lazzago at Magic Millions for $160,000 to Danny O’Brien Racing.
The runner-up Facile was a $420,000 Inglis Easter purchase from Widden and is the first Group performer for Trapeze Artist.
Lazzago is the 11th stakes-winner for Newgate Farm’s Capitalist.
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