Lady Invictus already has a couple of city wins to her name, but the well-bred filly will be out to elevate her profile even further this Saturday at Randwick.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained speedster will chase a maiden Saturday success in the $160,000 Happy Retirement Lynne McLean BM72 3YO Handicap (1300m).
The daughter of I Am Invincible, a $675,000 Inglis Premier yearling, ran third at her only try in Saturday grade two starts ago, which was sandwiched between two midweek city wins, and Bott would love to see her farewell her three-year-old season with a Saturday victory.
“She’s done well this prep and she deserves that,” Bott said.
“It would be a good indication of her ability going forward.
“That Saturday placing was full of merit, so that gives us confidence stepping into this grade on Saturday that she can be competitive like she has been before.
“It was a nice win last start from her. She seems to be in good shape, and there’s more upside from her going forward.”
Lady Invictus’s third placing came over 1100m at Rosehill on June 27, when beaten three-quarters of a lengths by Lighthouse Lass.
The start prior she broke her maiden by the same margin over the same trip at Warwick Farm and last start defeated Gatwick by a neck in a 1200m BM64 for three-year-olds at Canterbury.
Adam Hyeronimus was aboard for that win, but Tim Clark will ride from barrier nine on Saturday.
Lady Invictus, who heads betting at $3.60, is one of three Randwick runners for Bott and Waterhouse, who have Silver Slipper Stakes runner-up Eviction Notice chasing a maiden win in the 1100m two-year-old event that kicks off the card.
Later in the day, Toronado gelding Sly Boots will chase the first win of his campaign in the 1800m BM78 for male horses.
Sly Boots was beaten 5-1/2 lengths by Tazima last start, but that was in BM88 grade on a Heavy 9 track and Bott is excited about the prospect of seeing him a better surface.
“The key will be the conditions, if he can get that better track it will be much more to his liking,” he said.
“His first couple of runs, he didn’t have much luck with barriers and in running.
“Last start he got all the favours but couldn’t quite quicken on that ground, but he stuck on well and hopefully everything falls into place on Saturday because he is deserving of it.”
Randwick was rated a Soft 6 early Friday afternoon with fine conditions predicted for both Friday and Saturday.
Rachel King has the ride on $7.50 chance Sly Boots, who also drew barrier nine.
