What had been a frustrating start to the day for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable turned full circle with the all the way victory of Too Darn Lizzie at Caulfield.
Prior to the running of the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1600m) on Saturday, Waterhouse was bemoaning the frustration of seeing her horses run below par at both Caulfield and Randwick.
But all was forgiven when Too Darn Lizzie ($7.50) was allowed to dictate the speed under Tim Clark, running out a two-length winner over Zeitung ($5.50) with the $3 betting site favourite Geegees Mistruth a nose away third.
Waterhouse said bringing the filly down from their base at Randwick had helped the filly’s fitness.
Too Darn Lizzie was a debut winner at the Gold Coast in January and commenced who current campaign finishing eighth at Randwick before the decision was made to switch her south.
The filly ran third at her Melbourne debut in the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes over Saturday’s course and distance before Waterhouse began pouring the work into the filly at Flemington.
“She’s just settled down more the longer she’s been in Melbourne,” Waterhouse said.
“We brought her here on Tuesday, and I just love the way she finished off her work.
“I didn’t put a jockey on her that day, just the work rider who just gets on with her and she did everything right.
“I love it when they tick all the boxes going into a big race.”
With the Thousand Guineas Prelude under the belt, Waterhouse said the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) back at Caulfield on November 16 would now be considered, although a stop off at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival is likely to be on the agenda.
“Absolutely, that’s what we’re here for,” Waterhouse said.
“I think she’s training very well, so I think we could easily run over the Flemington carnival.”
Clark used the filly’s fitness to advantage having had a strong hit-out over 1400m.
“A couple of her rivals were up from 1200 (metres) to 1400 and could have been a bit of a query at the seven (furlongs),” Clark said.
“I made sure it was a true enough gallop, and I knew that this filly had a good grounding.
“The team down here has done a great job with her, and she galloped strongly through the line.”
Too Darn Lizzie was a $1 million yearling purchase at the Gold Coast and is raced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Saturday’s Group 2 victory will assure the filly’s future as a broodmare.
