Chris Waller’s Golden Rose Stakes-bound filly Omei Star is one of the headline nominations taken for the Furious Stakes 2016 in Sydney this weekend.
Silver Shadow Stakes winner Omei Sword headlines the 2016 Furious Stakes nominations for this Saturday in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
One of the key support acts on the Chelmsford Stakes Day card at Randwick Racecourse, this season’s $175,000 Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) attracted a total of 25 three-year-old fillies at nomination stage.
The set weights sprint is part of the Princess Series of races during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival and is a traditional lead-up to the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) over the mile back at Randwick on October 1.
One of the key early entries for the showdown is the Waller-trained High Chaparral filly Omei Sword who is a top fancy for the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens Saturday week (September 10).
She is the $7.50 third favourite in pre-field Golden Rose Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au behind last weekend’s Run To The Rose winner Astern ($4.40) and the Up & Coming Stakes champ Divine Prophet ($6.50).
Omei Sword has won two of her four career starts to date including the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) by a notable 3.3 lengths first-up at Randwick on August 20.
The filly looks spot-on then for a Furious Stakes win on the weekend if accepted and also leads futures betting at $3.80 to win Caulfield’s Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) in Melbourne on October 8.
Waller has a total of six Furious Stakes nominees this season with Omei Sword joined by a number of classy stablemates.
His possible contingent also includes the undefeated Awoke, consistent Foxwedge filly Foxplay, last start Canterbury winner Gretna, a daughter of Exceed And Excel Overstep and Sezanne coming off a win in the mud from August 10.
Also coming out of the Silver Shadow Stakes along with Omei Sword are the Gary Moore-trained runner-up Bacarella and Peter & Paul Snowden’s third-placegetter Quick Feet.
Team Snowden have also nominated for My Country who was last seen winning Brisbane’s Listed Lancaster Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm in the winter.
Another last start Group winner among the Furious Stakes nominations this year is the Shane Nichols-trained I Am A Star from Melbourne.
The in-form daughter of I Am Invincible is prepared at Mornington and has won three of her four career starts including the Group 3 National Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide and the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) first-up at Caulfield.
I Am A Star overcame barrier 13 of 13 in the Quezette Stakes and will be making her Sydney debut if accepted into Saturday’s Furious Stakes field.
Another notable nomination is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Group 3 runner-up Prompt Response coming off a winning Rosehill barrier trial.
See below for the full Furious Stakes 2016 nominations before the field, barriers and hottest odds at Ladbrokes.com.au are released on Wednesday.
2016 Furious Stakes Nominations
Randwick Racecourse – 03/09/2016
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6x0x144 | ALLUVION | F | 3 | Scott Singleton | – |
| 2 | 11x | AWOKE (NZ) | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 68 |
| 3 | 8×12 | BACARELLA | F | 3 | Gary Moore | 75 |
| 4 | 3x3x14x | CHIPANDA | F | 3 | John O’Shea | 72 |
| 5 | 6×471 | CLOCKWORK ORANGE | F | 3 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 6 | 54x212x | FOXPLAY | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 71 |
| 7 | 1x | GLOBAL GLAMOUR | F | 3 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | – |
| 8 | 0134×1 | GRETNA | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 70 |
| 9 | 145x | HONESTY PREVAILS | F | 3 | Rick Worthington | – |
| 10 | 611×1 | I AM A STAR (NZ) | F | 3 | Shane Nichols | – |
| 11 | 4×2142121 | I’M IMOGEN | F | 3 | Brett Thompson | 66 |
| 12 | 1 | LADY IONESS | F | 3 | Todd Howlett | 53 |
| 13 | 12x11x | MY COUNTRY | F | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 76 |
| 14 | 129×1 | OMEI SWORD | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 82 |
| 15 | 3×12 | OVERSTEP | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 67 |
| 16 | 2x421x | PROMPT RESPONSE | F | 3 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | – |
| 17 | 1x729x53 | QUICK FEET | F | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 75 |
| 18 | 025x2444x1 | RATHER SWEET | F | 3 | Gary Nickson | 65 |
| 19 | 1×51 | REBEL MISS | F | 3 | Matthew Smith | 67 |
| 20 | 224×1 | SEZANNE | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 66 |
| 21 | 3x21x7 | SHE’S POSITIVE | F | 3 | Tony Noonan | – |
| 22 | 511x | SKYLIGHT GLOW | F | 3 | James Cummings | 72 |
| 23 | 29x | SMART AMELIA | F | 3 | James Cummings | – |
| 24 | 2850×1 | SO SERENE | F | 3 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | – |
| 25 | 4x28x42335 | ZAFINA | F | 3 | Gary Portelli | – |
