Trainer Michael Hawkes would not be surprised if Lake Geneva broke through for her maiden win when she takes on a smart group of two year olds in the Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Fireworks, white colours, narrowly beat Lake Geneva, orange and white, on her inside in the Widden Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Even though Lake Geneva has only raced once for a second to Fireworks in the Group 3 $150,000 Widden Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on January 31, Hawkes believed the Fastnet Rock filly is loaded with ability.
“Lake Geneva is just the ultimate two-year-old,” Hawkes told racing.com.
“She just gets on with the job, she just does what she has to do, and she’s very, very relaxed.”
Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his father John and brother Wayne, said that Lake Geneva was on par with her stablemate Headwater who jumped to the top of the Golden Slipper market order after winning the Group 2 $250,000 Blackwoods Uvex Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Headwater is now the $4.80 favourite for the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) to be run at Rosehill on March 21.
“Headwater, he’s a different sort of horse. He’s more the three-year-old type,” Hawkes said.
“They’re both going to improve, they’re two totally different horses, but they’ve probably got the same ability.”
Lake Geneva will be taking on a strong field of two year olds in the Blue Diamond Stakes including the undefeated Fontiton and Of The Brave as well as Thurlow, Pride Of Dubai and Sampeah.
The Robert Smerdon trained Fontiton is unbeaten from three race starts and confirmed her favouritism for the Blue Diamond Stakes with a last start win in the Group 2 $200,000 Sportingbet Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) for the fillies at Caulfield on February 14.
Ladbrokes.com.au have Fontiton on top of the market order at $2.40 with the Peter And Paul Snowden trained Pride Of Dubai the second pick at $5 following his slashing second to Of The Brave in the Group 3 $150,000 Sportingbet Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) for the colts and geldings at Caulfield on the same day as the fillies prelude.
Of The Brave is still in contention at $8 alongside of the John O’ Shea trained Sampeah who also ran on for third in the colts and geldings Blue Diamond Prelude while Lake Geneva is marked as a $9 chance.
The Mark Riley trained Of The Brave made it two wins from two starts with his narrow victory over Pride Of Dubai and is certain to be improved with the run.
