In-form filly Kimberley Star will join stablemates Speak Fondly and English in the Group 2 $175,000 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 22.
Kimberley Star is now headed to the Silver Shadow Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse had already earmarked the Silver Shadow Stakes for the Golden Slipper runner up English and Group 2 Magic Night Stakes winner Speak Fondly and has now added a third string to her bow for the three year old fillies contest.
Kimberley Star is one of the most improved Tulloch Lodge fillies at the moment and chalked up a hat trick of wins with her victory in the $85,000 Structaflor Yellowtongue Plate (1400m) for the three year olds at Rosehill on August 1.
That win followed victories in a 1300m Warwick Farm Maiden on July 1 and in a 1400m two year old Handicap at Randwick on July 11 and Waterhouse has no doubt that she will compete competitvely at the highest level.
“This filly is flying after winning three in a row and she is now set for the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes at Randwick on the 22nd. She is Group 1 bound,” Waterhouse wrote on her website.
Jockey Blake Sprigs has been Kimberley Star’s early morning partner recently and gave Waterhouse a glowing report after Thursday’s trackwork session at Randwick in which Kimberley Star ran the final 200m of her 1000m hit out in 11.4s.
“It will take a very good horse to beat her,” is what Blake Spriggs said after partnering Kimberley Star over 1000m coming home their last 200m in 11.4 seconds,” Waterhouse wrote.
Waterhouse has all three fillies flying on the tracks and Speak Fondly was also one of the star workers during the week.
On Tuesday morning with Danny Beasley in the saddle, Speak Fondly strolled over 1000m, clocking 11.1s for her final 200m and the experienced jockey was more than happy with her work.
“Danny’s best of the morning was Speak Fondly who galloped strongly over 1000m coming home her last 200m in 11.1 seconds,” Waterhouse wrote.
“Danny mentioned that the filly is ‘ready to go’ and after two sensational trials, the filly indeed looks ready to run.”
“She will be tough to beat first up in the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes next week.”
Speak Fondly has performed well in two recent Randwick barrier trials for a win over 735m on July 20 followed by a second to Group 1 winner Temple Of Boom in an 840m trial on July 31 with English filling third spot.
English ran a gallant second to glamour stablemate Vancouver in the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21 before finishing sixth to Pride Of Dubai in the Group 1 $1m ATC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 6 and was then sent for a spell.
Speak Fondly was sent straight to the paddock after running eleventh in the Golden Slipper Stakes.
