A win by Serenade in Saturday’s Listed $100,000 Sky Racing Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m) at Ipswich will give trainer Mike Moroney the incentive to back her up next week in the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Club Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
Jockey Jeff Lloyd, above, will ride Serenade in the Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Serenade has been racing consistently with a win and two placings from her last three starts and Moroney said that if she can keep racing in good form, she deserves to try her luck in Group 1 company.
“We will probably back up in the Tiara, if she happens to win this we will give her a chance at a Group 1,” Moroney told racing.com.
The Tattersall’s Club Tiara for the fillies and mares, the last Group 1 of the 2015 – 2016 racing season, is developing into a great contest and even though glamour filly Ghisoni has been announced as a non-runner, the line-up is expected to include Group 1 winner Azkadellia and last Saturday’s Queensland Guineas winner Tsaritsa.
Serenade scored a comfortable win at Ballarat three starts back in a 1200m BenchMark 70 Handicap and followed that up with a third to Rageese in the Listed $100,000 H C Nitschke Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville Parks on April 30.
Moroney then headed to Queensland with Serenade who continued to hold her form with a second to Palazzo Pubblico in the Listed $100,000 City Property Services Bright Shadow Handicap (1200m) at Doomben on May 21.
“She has been knocking on the door for black type, two of her last three starts she has got a black-type placing, she has drawn well, as long as she can jump and use that barrier I am sure she will be hard to beat,” Moroney said.
“I think when you have these fillies and mares, if they are in form, and she can come out of it well enough, you’ve got to roll the dice a bit.
“She is a valuable filly, half to Stratum Star and from Emancipation’s family, so if we can get Group 1 black type it would be great.”
The Darren Weir trained Stratum Star has been a consistent Group 1 performer over the last twelve months and was rewarded with a Group 1 win when he took out the $400,000 Anthea Crawford Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield during the 2015 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Serenade has drawn nicely at barrier three in the thirteen horse field and jockey Jeff Lloyd should be able to give her the run of the race from the good gate.
Gai Waterhouse Classic betting at Ladbrokes.com.au has Serenade as the $3.20 favourite ahead of the top weight Scarlet Billows at $3.90 and the Gai Waterhouse trained Echo Gal at $4.60.
The Gai Waterhouse Classic market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.20 Serenade, $3.90 Scarlet Billows, $4.60 Echo Gal, $11 Slots, Blueberry Hill, $16 Golden Mineshaft, $20 Adorabubble, Adorabeel, $26 Elusive Catch, $34 Cartier Rock, $41 Nicked And Court, Lucky News, $61 Rumeron.
