Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller has nominated Foxplay as the best of his three runners in the Group 2 $175,000 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Foxplay, above, is the best of trainer Chris Waller’s 3 runners in the Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au agree and have Foxplay as the $2.90 favourite ahead of Waller’s other two fillies Awoke at $8 and Sezanne at $11.
Waller said that Foxplay surprised the stable when she beat the more fancied fillies in the Group 2 $175,000 Fitzy & Wippa’s Fast & Furious Stakes (1200m) at Randwick a fortnight ago and rates her the best of the stable’s runners.
“She surprised us with the way she won so she looks the benchmark for the race again,” Waller told RSN’s Racing Ahead.
Foxplay was sent out at the good odds of $8.50 when she beat Tea Rose Stakes rivals Bacarella ($14) and $5 equal favourite Global Glamour while Awoke, who was also equal favourite, was well beaten into eleventh place.
Waller said that he was disappointed with the run of Awoke and is looking for improvement in the Tea Rose Stakes.
“I was disappointed with Awoke’s run because she beat Foxplay, albeit with a lesser weight in the Winter and had a similar preparation so we should see improvement from her at good value and Sezanne brings about different form line.”
Sezanne is stepping up from a midweek winning double at Canterbury with a win in a 1250m Maiden and a win in a 1200m Fillies and Mares BenchMark 67 Handicap and Waller is expecting her to be competitive again.
“She has beaten the colts two starts ago and the older mares last start all at midweek grade but certainly brings a different picture into the race. One that certainly should not be underestimated,” Waller said.
Hugh Bowman sticks with Foxplay (barrier 4), Brenton Avdulla keeps the mount on Awoke (barrier 6) and Craig Williams will be aboard Sezanne (barrier 8).
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Global Glamour is the second favourite at $4.40 for the Tea Rose Stakes and the ‘Lady Trainer’ expects the filly to be in the prizemoney again.
“This is an outstanding filly,” Waterhouse said.
“I haven’t seen a horse work as well for a long long time. She worked on the Kensington track at Randwick the other morning and it was beautiful work. She wasn’t pushed by the jockey, just finding the line by herself.”
“She is very well, she is extremely big and strong.”
Market order for the Tea Rose Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.90 Foxplay, $4.40 Global Glamour, $6.50 Bacarella, $8 Skylight Glow, Awoke, $11 Sezanne, $18 Chipanda, $21 Quick Feet, $26 A Mist Opportunity, $81 Plenty To Like.
