Chris Waller and Tommy Berry combined for a Snitzel-sired double at Randwick on Saturday with 5yo mares as Lazzura won the G2 $2m ATC The Invitation (1400m), before Delichy Boulevard followed in the very next race with victory in the $1m ATC Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m).
Off the back of her strong win in the G2 ATC Golden Pendant last start, Lazzura started favourite, and although she jumped from barrier ten, Berry took her forward to settle in second just a length off race leader Perfumist (NZ).
Full of running, the OTI raced Perfumist took the field into the home straight with Lazzura, and fellow G1 winner Idle Flyer both starting to make their runs around the outside while the well-fancied Gerringong was slightly strung up behind the leading division of runners.
Noted starting their runs from back in the field was the Gary Portelli trained Verona Rose, while the Australian Bloodstock raced Infancy, who is currently in foal to Champion Anamoe, was also looking a serious contender.
With 59kg on her back, Lazzura started to pull away from her rivals, and while she drifted out under pressure in the final stages of the race, the daughter of Snitzel scored by a half length from Infancy with Verona Rose a further short head back in third.
Lazzura takes out The Invitation to give @cwallerracing 4 winners at Randwick today! @TommyBerry21 @aus_turf_club @B2BThoroughbred https://t.co/twfFdkFch2
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 24, 2026
With Waller in Melbourne for the Cox Plate meeting, stable rep Darren Beadman was on course.
“She’s the winner of the Coolmore, Group One. Her win the other day in the Golden Pendant, she’s just class,” enthused Beadman. “She had to burn the candle at both ends. It was, do we go forward, or do we go back? But the way she jumped, Tommy (Berry) made an executive decision and said, ‘Bang. She’s the best horse in the race’.”
"She ran ten-and-a-half (seconds) there one furlong. She really cut out some slick sectionals in the early stages, but once she got there, she gave herself a chance and switched off and she runs out a strong 1400.”
As for where she now heads, Beadman said he would leave that to Waller.
“I’ll leave that to the master himself. She did run in the Empire Rose down there last year.”
Asked if she may back up?
“It was a bit of a gut-buster. It was pretty slick time, and she was out on her feet the last twenty metres. But in saying that, whatever she does is just a bonus. She’s a Group One-winning mare and she's won her last two Group Twos.”
Winning jockey Tommy Berry was not locked down to any pre-race plans with the mare.
“I still had no idea what I was going to do going to the gates,” said Berry. “I’ll ride her how she jumps and she pinged the lids.”
“At the end of the day it’s not the way to ride her but she’s the best horse in the race. Good horses overcome adversity and that is what she did today. Full credit to the team.”
“This race has been a race they looked at for a long time. Ricky the owner was trying to book me five weeks out. He was obviously very keen on her. A good effort.”
“I got a really easy time mid-race and that sort of helped her in the end there. She is a lot better horse with cover. Well done to Ricky, Ricky Jnr and Chris and the whole team have done a great job. I wish my old man a happy birthday. I’ll get emotional so won’t talk anymore."
Taking her record to eight wins (seven at black type level) and six placed efforts from 20 starts with earnings of $3,135,760.
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), who foaled a colt by Kia Ora Stud’s Farnan last spring and is due to foal this spring G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland.
The very next race of the Randwick card saw fellow 5yo Snitzel mare Declichy Boulevard secure a close victory in the non black-type $1m ATC Five Diamonds Prelude for the Waller and Berry combination.
A winner two starts back before an extremely unlucky effort in the G1 ATC Epsom (1600m), the G1 placed mare settled with just two behind her as stablemate Imperialist (NZ) took up the running with Phillip and Tommy Stokes trained Athanatos on his outside.
G1 winner Linebacker (NZ) started to chime in, charging clear to hit the lead at the 300m, but Berry was starting to warm up down the outside as the chestnut mare was starting to hit her straps.
Racing to Linebacker, the mare got her head in front to record her fourth race victory, winning by a long neck with Victorian visitor Welcometotheshow a length and a half back in third.
Declichy Boulevard cruises past them in the Five Diamonds Prelude! ?? ?? That's a treble to @TommyBerry21 and FIVE Randwick winners for @cwallerracing! @aus_turf_club https://t.co/Q3QHW3QVAr
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 24, 2026
‘’With her pattern of racing, the race set up for her with a good speed up-front and a lot of pressure early,” said Beadman post-race. “She just sat back there, Tommy (Berry, jockey) was back there smoking his pipe, then got her into a three-wide line with cover and she chimed into it ‘lovely’.”
When asked if she will now head to the $2m ATC Five Diamonds over 1800m, Beadman felt it would be a good race for the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) placegetter.
“The 1800m at Rosehill is like a mile at Randwick. So, especially being back at her home track it will work out perfectly for her.’’
Taking er earnings to $1,018,800, the mare has finished in the top three on 11 occasions from 16 starts.
Carrying the colours of Kevin and Vikki Payne, the daughter of Snitzel was a $380,000 purchase for Waltrin Pty Ltd and Cameron Cooke Bloodstock from the draft of her breeder Kulani Park at the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Her winning dam Red Velvet Swing (Star Witness) is a sister to G3-placed Serenade, half-sister to dual G1 winner Stratum Star (Stratum) and twice G3 winner and G1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes runner-up Prague.
Red Velvet Swing’s current 2yo is an unraced Capitalist filly named Velvet Hustle in the stable of Queensland trainer Kelly Schweida, while the mare has a yearling filly by Shinzo and is due to foal this season to Ole Kirk.
The sire of 178 stakes winners highlighted by 28 individual G1 winners, the former Arrowfield Stud based, multiple Champion Sire is currently represented by 24 sons at stud in Australia.
