Dual Group One-placed filly Lake Geneva has returned to form to post an important stakes win at Moonee Valley.
Lake Geneva filled the minor placing in the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper as a juvenile and big things were touted for her this spring but until Saturday’s Listed Crockett Stakes she had not delivered on raceday.
After landing a maiden win at Hawksbury first-up, Lake Geneva was third in the Silver Shadow Stakes as favourite before finished unplaced in two more fillies’ races in Sydney.
Having been freshened up and sent to Melbourne, the Hawkes Racing-trained Lake Geneva ($8.50) defied a three-wide run in Saturday’s 1200m race to hold on and defeat Valley Sweetheart ($18) by a half-head with a half-neck to favourite Serene Majesty ($3.30) third.
“Her work had been really good in Sydney and she looked a picture the whole way through but just hadn’t done the job,” co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said.
“On her work and the way she looked you thought she would run well but she hadn’t actually put it together in her first couple of runs back and we had been disappointed with her.
“She’s had a bit of a freshen up, and winners are grinners.
“She’s run third in a Blue Diamond, third in a Golden Slipper and was only a Hawksbury winner. So now she’s a very, very valuable stakes winner.”
