A family trait that points to spring bringing out the best in Lakia promises to be a potent asset for the filly after her convincing win at Canterbury.
Lakia is the first foal from Arabian Gold, a five-time stakes winner who first served notice of her talent as an early-season three-year-old during the 2013 spring carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne.
Offsetting a wide barrier with brilliant early acceleration, Lakia won the Everest Carnival Maiden Handicap (1200m).
It was a win that was anticipated on more than one level with co-trainer Adrian Bott revealing the three-year-old had always had the ability to match her pedigree.
“This preparation she had obviously come back much stronger and a lot more mature,” Bott said.
“I think we had seen that in her trials this time around and certainly in her work and that gave us a lot of confidence going into today.”
Sent out as the best-backed runner, Lakia ($5.50) was never in danger of defeat once she found the front under Tim Clark
She had 2-3/4 lengths in hand over runner-up Bollywood ($10) with Tulloch Lodge stablemate Pierro Rose ($11) a long head away third.
First prepared by David Vandyke, Arabian Gold completed her three-year-old season with a runner-up placing in the Queensland Oaks.
She ultimately finished her career with Bott’s training partner Gai Waterhouse and left for the breeding barn with earnings just short of $1 million.
Lakia cost $400,000 as a yearling but hopes of an early return on that outlay were dashed because of inexperience after she finished down the course in the Widden Stakes.
Bott said the filly, an entry for the Group One Thousand Guineas, would be given every opportunity to emulate her dam as a high-class racehorse.
“I think it’s perfect timing for her. She can no doubt go on to bigger and better things,” he said.
Lakia’s victory gave Waterhouse and Bott success in the first two races at Canterbury during a part of the season that can unearth better-than-average midweek winners.
Yao Dash, a Nash Rawiller ride, recorded a similar time but posted a bigger winning margin than his stablemate in scoring at the first time of asking.
The stable brought up a treble when Ulusaba, also ridden by Rawiller, scored in the last of seven races.
