Lady Shenandoah has set up a potentially mouthwatering clash with unbeaten stablemate Autumn Glow after returning with an arrogant Light Fingers Stakes victory at Randwick.
While the filly’s 1-1/4 length margin over Golden Slipper heroine Lady Of Camelot wasn’t out of the ordinary, the manner of it indicated she had much more in the tank.
Winning jockey Zac Lloyd said the Chris Waller-trained filly, who started a $2.40 favourite with betting sites, possessed a wonderful action that belied how fast she was travelling.
“You don’t get that feeling often. She is a pleasure to ride and it’s an honour to ride these types of horses for Mr Waller,” Lloyd said.
“In her second trial Mr Waller said, ‘close to a speeding ticket there’ but she just does it so easily, you don’t really know how fast you’re going.
“She just glides over the ground. She’s got the most efficient action. She came around that bend and you just feel like it’s ‘game over’. She is a very nice filly.”
The winner of the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) in the spring, Lady Shenandoah will have her next start in the Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in two weeks.
That race is still the main option for stablemate Autumn Glow, although Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said they were racing the clock to get her there and they would know more after she trialled this week.
If they do clash, Duckworth isn’t going to be drawn on which filly will be the stable’s top seed.
“It’s very hard to work out exactly how they measure up against each other until they face each other,” he said.
“She (Lady Shenandoah) is obviously an incredible athlete and was aided by an absolutely stunning ride by Zac. He got her in a beautiful position from what could have been a slightly sticky draw and she has gone about her business beautifully and she has accelerated.
“Lady Of Camelot is no slouch to try and run past in the concluding stages and she seems to have done it with a bit in hand.
“She gets up over a lot further than the 1200 so to do it first-up, she is going to take a world of beating next start.”
Waller also had Lazzura (fourth), Amelita (sixth) and Declichy Boulevard (seventh) in the race and Duckworth confirmed all were on track to progress to the Surround Stakes.
Godolphin’s Inhibitions ($13) capitalised on a beautiful run to take out the Triscay Stakes (1200m) for the mares, downing the previously unbeaten Clear Thinking ($4 fav) and stablemate Commemorative ($4.40).
Trainer James Cummings, who was at Flemington to watch Traffic Warden contest the Lightning Stakes, believed both Godolphin mares had more in store.
“It’s a good result for the farm. Both mares in the race are stakes winners, but I’ve got a feeling there’s a little bit more ahead of both of them,” Cummings said.
