Chris Waller‘s promising filly Lady Shenandoah made a mess of her five rivals in a diminutive 2024 Flight Stakes field to get the Group 1 racing underway at Royal Randwick on Epsom Handicap Day.
Waller’s early favourite, the unbeaten Autumn Glow, was withdrawn from the Group 1 $750,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) on Friday now set to miss the remainder of the spring in a blow for connections.
The Flight Stakes trophy however was still taken home by the Waller camp with his progressive daughter of Snitzel, Lady Shenandoah, far too good trouncing the field by a big margin in an impressive performance to hand her trainer his third win in the mile showdown.
“It was a tough week but I’m not going to get emotional about it because I’m so blessed to have these types of horses in the stable. Autumn Glow, she’s a star. But this little girl here (Lady Shenandoah), she’s pretty good too,” Waller told Sky Racing Thoroughbred post-win.
Young hoop Zac Lloyd picked up his second Group 1 trophy following his Stradbroke win on Stefi Magnetica giving the runaway Flight Stakes winner a peach of a ride.
He had her settled fourth the outside as the maiden in the field, Powers Of Opal, took up the front run in a race lacking pace.
Once on the home straight Lady Shenandoah was quick to chime in, moving up to tackle the leader at the 300m before easily cruising past her full of running to charge to the lead.
It was all over with a furlong to go as Lady Shenandoah, last start winner of the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m), relished the step-up to the mile going from strength-to-strength the closing stages to demolish the field.
In a distance second was the in-form Brutal filly Harlem Queen with the beaten favourite Snow In May third to complete the Flight Stakes trifecta.
“That was a good first impression, that’s for sure. What a filly and obviously I’m very lucky to land on her, but I’m very honoured to get the ride for Hermitage and Mr Waller and hopefully I can get a couple more Group Ones as easy as that,” winning hoop Lloyd said.
“It was scintillating (her turn of foot). It was a bit tricky early, obviously with the speed, no-one was quite sure who would take it up and probably the last horse I expected was Tommy (Berry) to take it up (on Powers Of Opal).
“I really wanted to get cover on her because I thought if I just get her to switch on she would have a good turn of foot. Lucky I was able to get in the one-one. She travelled like the winner the whole way and I just had to count to five before I let her go. But I don’t think it mattered, she’s very good.”
The sky looks the limit for Waller’s 164th career Group 1 winner with the trainer suggesting the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield in November could be on the cards.
Current 2024 Thousand Guineas odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au have Lady Shenandoah as the $4 favourite.
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2024 Flight Stakes Results & Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | LADY SHENANDOAH | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd (a) | 4 | 56kg | $3.10 | ||
| 2 | 7 | HARLEM QUEEN | Nathan Doyle | Sam Clipperton | 3.17L | 2 | 56kg | $7.50 | |
| 3 | 2 | SNOW IN MAY | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Kerrin McEvoy | 3.51L | 5 | 56kg | $2.60F | |
| 4 | 9 | POWERS OF OPAL (NZ) | John Sargent | Tommy Berry | 4.5L | 1 | 56kg | $6.50 | |
| 5 | 3 | LAZZURA | Chris Waller | Craig Williams | 5.66L | 6 | 56kg | $7.50 | |
| 6 | 6 | MISS BUSSLINGER | Kris Lees | Dylan Gibbons | 10.23L | 3 | 56kg | $31 | |
| 1 | AUTUMN GLOW | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 0 | |||||
| 8 | WINGS OF DESIRE | Michael Freedman | Jason Collett | 0 | |||||
| 5 | DECLICHY BOULEVARD | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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