Smart filly Lake Geneva has been given the all clear to tackle the Group 2 $175,000 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 22 after breaking her maiden status at Hawkesbury on Thursday.
Lake Geneva, navy blue, was beaten in a blanket finish when third to Ottoman, white cap, and Calaverite, royal blue, in the Percy Sykes Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.
Lake Geneva was one of the best performed two year olds during the Autumn Carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne with third placings in both the Group 1 $1m Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield and in the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.
But the Hawkes Racing Team wanted the Fastnet Rock filly to have a low key entry into the 2015 Spring Carnival with a win on the board and she obliged with an effortless win in the $22,000 Sigma 3yo Maiden Plate (1000m) at Hawkesbury.
“She’s not the best maiden in Australia anymore, that’s for sure,” co-trainer Michael Hawkes said to Sky Racing.
“She could have led them up, she could have been behind, he (Berry) only got out the last 150m, put one round her behind and it was all over.
“It was a nice run, it was a starting point… it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.”
Lake Geneva was having her first run back since running a close third behind Ottoman and Calaverite in the Group 3 $500,000 Girvan Waugh Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 11 with Tommy Berry aboard.
Berry held the reins again at Hawkesbury and had the filly travelling just behind the leaders and waited until they were well into the straight before he released the brakes and Lake Geneva went on to record a one and half lengths win.
Even though she only won a Hawkesbury maiden, Berry was happy with the result and is looking for a lot of improvement heading into the Autumn feature races.
“That’s what she really needed today, a confidence booster,” Berry said.
“She never really travelled that well in the run… but I loved the way when she pulled out she really towed me up to them.
“We will go on to bigger and better things with her.
“She’s no bigger than she was last prep but feels physically stronger and that’s what we wanted to see from her.”
Lake Geneva is eligible to run in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoloi Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on September 12 and in early betting is marked as a $15 chance behind the Golden Slipper winner Vancouver who heads the Ladbrokes.com.au market order at $3.20.
Berry will be looking for more success with the Hawkes Racing Team at Randwick on Saturday when they combine with four runners, Himalaya Dream, Rageese, Messene and Darciwood.
Messene is currently the $3.40 favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au for the feature race on the program, the Group 2 $175,000 McGrath Estate Agents Missile Stakes (1200m) while Rageese is also at the top of the market at $2.70 in the Listed $100,000 The Rosebud (1200m).
Himalaya Dream at $2.90 is at the top of the betting in the $85,000 Sky Racing BenchMark 79 Handicap (1200m) and last start winner Darciwood is also the $2.45 favourite for the $85,000 TAB Place Multi BenchMark 85 Handicap (1000m).
