Lake Geneva is currently available at 2015 Tea Rose Stakes odds of $21, but co-trainer Michael Hawkes is confident that the talented filly can return to her best form when she contests the Group 2 event at Royal Randwick tomorrow.
Lake Geneva (outside) has the chance to return to winning form in the 2015 Tea Rose Stakes this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Lake Geneva finished in the placings in both the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) during her two-year-old campaign, but she has been unable to replicate that form during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival and she failed to perform at her best in both the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on August 22 and the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) at the same venue on September 5.
Hawkes said that he was relatively happy with the Furious Stakes performance of Lake Geneva and he told Racing Ahead that he can’t knock the daughter of Fastnet Rock ahead of the 2015 Tea Rose Stakes.
“She has done everything right,” Hawkes said.
“Last start she hit the line good and obviously on-speed horses were winning.
“She loomed up as if she was going to go bang, but she hit the line ok.
“The start before was a touch disappointing and she didn’t the line as good as we thought, but she hit the line well and 1400 is what she is looking for now.
“This will determine where she is at, we have put the blinkers on her and it was probably the best bit of work that we have seen for her in both of her campaigns was on Tuesday.
“I can’t really fault her.”
Lake Geneva was allocated barrier 12 when the 2015 Tea Rose Stakes field was released earlier in the week and Hawkes admits that the wide draw is not ideal for the three-year-old.
Hawkes said that he will not give jockey Tommy Berry any strict instructions ahead of the Tea Rose Stakes and he expects Berry to ride the filly how she jumps in the early stages of the race.
“When you draw bad barriers they obviously cost you races,” Hawkes said.
“It is just a matter of how she jumps, if she jumps out she should be on the speed with a bit of luck.
“It depends and it is one of those funny things with her, but with the blinkers on I don’t want to get her fired up.
“How she jumps is how she is going to be ridden.”
Lake Geneva is currently available at 2015 Tea Rose Stakes odds of $21, while Kimberley Star ($5) is currently a narrow favourite from Perignon ($5.50), Flamboyant Lass ($5.50) and Sempre Libera ($7.50).
