The win was a key target for owners B2B Thoroughbreds, whose father-and-son team of Ricky Surace senior and junior claimed the rich mares feature. Their group 1 winner dug deep to hold off Infancy in a hard run that saw Surace junior describe the race as the horse’s “grand final.”
“This was the grand final and she’s done it, and that’s enough,” Surace junior said. “We’ll assess it, maybe the Orr, but most likely the paddock.”
Jockey Tommy Berry, who rode Lazzura, said the ride was not ideal but the horse’s quality carried 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,” Berry said. “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.”
Lazzura, who won the group 1 Coolmore Classic and was second in the All Aged Stakes in the autumn, came off a victory in the group 2 Golden Pendant. Berry and the Suraces also combined earlier in the day with the Richard and Will Freedman-trained Revolina to claim the listed Brian Crowley Stakes (1200m) for three-year-olds.
Revolina, a homebred Russian Revolution filly who almost died at birth, led under Berry and kicked clear for a length and a half win over Punxsutawney Phil in the $200,000 race. Will Freedman said the Suraces targeted the race given it attracted only a handful of nominations, and expressed hope she could fill their slot in the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight (1100m) in January on the Gold Coast. Freedman noted Revolina had been immature but had always shown ability. Surace added that no sales company had wanted the filly because they “went a bit cold on Russian Revolution’s that year.”
Premier trainer Chris Waller and Berry later won the $1 million Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) with Declichy Boulevard. Waller assistant Darren Beadman said the mare would be well suited to the 1800m $2 million Five Diamonds at Rosehill in two weeks. Waller also won the Craven Plate with Lindermann, the Callander-Presnell with Central Europe and the Kirkham Plate with Exo Velocity.
In the $750,000 Craven Plate (1800m), Nash Rawiller rode Lindermann ($2.25 favourite) to an early lead and controlled the tempo, holding off Tom Kitten by a length. Rawiller pushed for a trip to the Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in two weeks. Lindermann joined Phar Lap (1929-31) and Chatham (1932-34) as hat-trick winners of the group 2 race, while Gloaming (1919, 1922, 1924) grabbed a treble across six editions. Raced by Debbie Kepitis’ Woppitt Bloodstock, Lindermann went past $6 million in earnings.