Smart filly Flamboyant Lass has been set on a path towards the Group 1 $500,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 3 after scoring a first up at Warwick Farm yesterday.
Flamboyant Lass ran third to Fontiton, above, in the Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield in the Autumn. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse was happy to kick off Flamboyant Lass’s Spring Carnival campaign in a low key midweek $40,000 1000m BenchMark 70 Handicap and is certain the Stratum filly will measure up to the top company.
“A few of the owners said, `why isn’t she starting on Saturday?’ and I said ‘small fish are sweet’,” Waterhouse said.
Winning rider Tim Clark was content to sit three wide outside the leaders before letting Flamboyant Lass surge to the front at the 200m to record a dominant three and a quarter lengths win against the older horses.
Clark eased Flamboyant Lass down over the last fifty metres and she clearly outclassed the rest for the field.
“She was really racing in the death (seat) throughout this race and came right away from them,” Waterhouse said.
“I want her to go to a nice Group Two and then the ultimate aim will be either the Thousand Guineas or the Flight Stakes.”
Waterhouse also added that the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 10 could also be an option.
Clark agrees with Waterhouse that Flamboyant Lass is headed for better successes and was very impressed with her winning effort.
“It’s not an easy task taking on the older horses,” Clark said.
“There were horses in the race that had won more races than she had ever contested, so for her to come here and do that, it’s a good sign.”
Flamboyant Lass was only having her fifth race start and showed plenty of promise during her two year season which included a win at Randwick over 1000m before heading to Melbourne to finish third to Fontiton in the Group 2 $200,000 Blue Diamond Prelude (F) (1100m) at Caulfield on February 14.
The handsome filly then finished thirteenth of fourteen in the Group 1 $1m Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 28 and was clearly due for a break.
Flamboyant Lass is among the nominations for the Thousand Guineas and is quoted as a $17 chance with Ladbrokes.com.au.
