Chris Waller’s Ballet Suite is among the eighteen nominations for the Group 2 $175,000 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Ballet Suite is among the nominations for The Roses at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Ballet Suite was a comfortable winner against the fillies in the Listed $100,000 City Property Services Princess Stakes (2000m) at Doomben on May 9 and will be taking on a similar field on the weekend.
Bohemian Lily, Col ‘N’ Lil, Imperial Lass and No Tricks finished second, fourth, fifth and sixth behind Ballet Suite in the Princess Stakes and all are nominated for The Roses.
The Gai Waterhouse trained Bohemian Lily was a winner two starts back in the Listed $125,000 Border Security Services Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) at the Gold Coast on April 25 and tried valiantly to hold off the challenge of Ballet Suite in the Princess Stakes but the Waller filly was strong at the finish.
The Roses will be the final lead up run for the fillies heading to the Group 1 $500,000 Treasury Casino & Hotel Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Doomben the following week and Waller looks certain to have the top two chances in the fillies’ classic.
Ballet Suite is currently the second favourite for the Queensland Oaks with Ladbrokes.com.au at $6.50 and Waller will also saddle up last Saturday’s Sunshine Coast Guineas winner Winx who sits at the top of the market order at $2.30.
New Zealand filly Platinum Witness from Lisa Latta’s Awapunui stables is marked as a $10 chance for the Queensland Oaks and Australian racegoers will get their first look at the California Dane filly in The Roses on Saturday.
Platinum Witness is a Group 1 winner in New Zealand and as well as winning the Group 1 NZ$300,000 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton Park in November last year, she also ran second to Savaria in the Group 1 NZ$300,000 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 14.
Kiwi filly Exquisite Jewel also has good New Zealand form and after running fourth in the New Zealand Oaks won the Group 3 NZ$70,000 Higgins Manawatu Classic (2000m) at Awapuni on March 28 before running second in the Group 2 NZ$100,000 Valachi Downs Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie three weeks later.
The Sue Walsh trained filly is currently a $13 for the Queensland Oaks.
The Bjorn Baker trained Sebrina is included in the nominations for The Roses and will come to Brisbane on the back of a mid-week win at Warwick Farm against the fillies over 1600m on May 6 which followed a third in the Group 3 $150,000 Kari J H B Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 18.
