Six fillies make up Silver Shadow Stakes field

Only six fillies will make up the final field for the Group 2 $175,000 Coolmore Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) to be run at Randwick on Saturday.

Speak Fondly, above red and black colours, is one of two runners Gai Waterhouse will have in the Silver Shadow Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Speak Fondly, above red and black colours, is one of two runners Gai Waterhouse will have in the Silver Shadow Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Gai Waterhouse will saddle up two of the six runners with her smart fillies Speak Fondly who drew the inside gate with Kerrin McEvoy to ride and the in-form Kimberley Star who came up with barrier five with Tim Clark taking over from Blake Shinn.

Speak Fondly has trialled twice at Randwick for a win over 735m on July 20 and a second over 840m on July 31 in preparation for her first run since running eleventh to stablemate Vancouver in the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21.

Kimberley Star is rock solid in condition with three wins from her last three starts and has earned her chance to take on tougher company after completing her hat trick of wins with a three lengths victory against the three year olds over 1400m at Rosehill on August 1.

Team Hawkes will step Lake Geneva back up to Group 2 company after they took the Golden Slipper third placegetter to Hawkesbury to break her maiden status.

Lake Geneva got the job done as the $1.05 favourite and heads back to Randwick with that run under her belt to take on the better quality fillies.

Tommy Berry had the winning ride at Hawkesbury and will stick with the Fastnet Rock filly who drew barrier three in the Silver Shadow Stakes.

John O’Shea will have Italy with Glen Boss on board the Domesday filly who also has the benefit of a recent run for a fifth in a mid-week 1200m BenchMark 70 at Warwick Farm on August 5.

The Godolphin owned filly has drawn the outside of the field at gate six.

Brenton Avdulla will be back from riding Goldstream into fourth position behind Highland Reel in the Group 1 US$450,000 Secretariat Stakes (1 mile 2 furlongs) at Arlington Park in the USA last weekend and will be on the Gerald Ryan trained Fireworks from barrier two.

Avdulla has ridden Fireworks in four of her five race starts including a win in the Group 3 $150,000 Widden Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on January 31 and was aboard when the Snitzel filly finished thirteenth in the Golden Slipper Stakes.

The Snowden Racing Team will be stepping last start Warwick Farm Maiden winner Kangarilla Joy (barrier 4) straight up to Group 2 company of the Silver Shadow Stakes with Christian Reith taking the ride.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.