Having resumed with a narrow third in the G2 ATC Sheraco Stakes recently, Chirs Waller’s G1 winner Lazzura was sent off the short priced favourite on Saturday, and didn’t let her supporters down, impressing with victory in the $400,000 G2 ATC Golden Pendant (1400m).
With James McDonald in the saddle, Lazzura jumped away short in the betting, and after a good get away from the gates, settled back in third position on the outside of Ahha Ahha with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained second favourite Surfin’ Bird taking up the running.
First up over the 1400m, you could see that once the field headed into the straight that Surfin’ Bird was under some pressure, but in true Waterhouse/Bott style, the mare started to fight.
Alas, the battle was lost as McDonald ambled up down the outside as he asked Lazzura for an effort with the multiple stakes winning daughter of Snitzel gathereing in the leaders and while McDonald went for the whip, the mare had her rivals covered.
Having come off a pleasing return when third in the G2 Theo Mark Stakes, the Gary Portelli trained Verona Rose came from last in what was another excellent effort, finishing just under a length and a quarter off the winner in second.
Last start Listed Mona Lisa Stakes winner Modella made her run with Verona Rose, weakening ever so slightly near the line to be beaten into third.
“She’s unassuming but she gets the job done,” said Waller. “She’s a lovely horse to work with. She tries hard. You know you’re going to get an honest day’s work out of her.”
“Lovely ride. Only a small field but she ended up getting a lovely run. Gangsta Granny was the horse to beat and the horse to follow, so it was good to be able to track that horse. The other horse (Verona Rose) came late but she held it off well.”
As for where she will head next, Waller is looking to The Invitation.
“Hopefully we get an invitation for The Invitation. That’s the beauty of racing in NSW. She deserves to be running in Group Ones and I guess that race will get there eventually, but prizemoney, it’s a big deal, so she’ll head there.
“The Empire Rose (Stakes) is a week later. Or the Orr. She is a 1400 metre horse, that’s her distance isn’t it, so that would be the other race. She ran second to Beiwacht in the All Aged (Stakes) so that’s probably where she heads after The Invitation, rather than backing up in seven days.”
A regular jockey of the mare, James McDonald felt she is in for a good prep.
“That was nice. Lazzura jumped out of the ground today, she was stimulated and is in for a good preparation.
“She is just a beautiful mare; she has been well placed all her life and is just a good horse.
“I think she can improve again, too. She has some tougher tasks ahead but she deserves to be in those good races.’’
A stakes winner at 2, 3, 4 and 5, the Arrowfield Group and Jungle Pocket Pty Ltd bred mare has taken her record to seven wins (six at black type level) and six placed efforts from 19 starts with earnings of $2,133,460.
Purchased by B2B Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd for $500,000 from the Magic Millions yearling sale draft of Arrowfield Stud, Lazzura is the best of three winners from four to the races out of the Heart's Cry (Jpn) mare Laguna Azzurra (Jpn).
A three-quarter sister to stakes-placed Portorosa, Lazzura is from the extended family of Japanese Champion 3YO Colt and exciting sire Kizuna (Jpn).
It was no surprise to see B2B go to $1.8m to secure Laguna Azzurra’s current 2yo when offered earlier this year at the Inglis Easter yearling sale. Named Tavolara, the full-sister to Lazzura is yet to race and is also in the care of Chris Waller.
The mare foaled a colt by Kia Ora Stud’s Farnan last spring and is due to foal this spring G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland.
Lazzura is one of 175 stakes winners for the former Arrowfield Stud-based, multiple Champion Sire Snitzel.
