A start in the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 10 is on the Spring agenda for Lazumba who resumes at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Lazumba will clash again with VRC Sires winner Jameka, above, in the Atlantic Jewel Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
The lightly raced Lazumba will kick off her Spring Carnival campaign in the Listed $120,000 Telstra Phonewords Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) and trainer Steve Richards is looking for a strong finish against the three year old fillies.
“I think they’ll probably be a bit sharp for her around the Valley, but as long as she’s running on at the finish, that’s what we’ll be looking out for,” Richards told racing.com.
“Then we can move onto the spring races over a little bit more ground – that’s the indication, that she wants a bit further.”
Lazumba has only been to the races on two occasions for a second in a 1100m Ballarat two year old maiden in February then ran second again to Jameka in the Group 2 $200,000 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 14.
“Her run in the Sires’ was good, she’s improved a little bit and who knows, we could have an Oaks filly, but we just have to find our way,” Richards said.
Richards will head to Caulfield for Lazumba’s next start which will determine if the Sebring filly heads to the Thousand Guineas or is aimed at something a bit easier.
“She’ll have this run and then she’ll go to Caulfield in a fortnight – a 1400m fillies race and that will sort of determine where we go after that,” Richards said.
“If she proves that she can be up to the Thousand Guineas, perhaps she goes there, if not we’ve got the Edward Manifold two weeks later – 1600m at Flemington.
“That looks a pretty good race for her on the strength of her second at the Sires’… so it’s going to be up to her really where we go.”
Lazumba will get back from barrier three with James Winks to ride and will be taking on the Ciaron Maher trained Jameka again who is also having her first run back since winning the VRC Sire’ Produce Stakes.
Thousand Guineas favourite Pasadena Girl is also resuming for the Spring after winning the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on April 18.
The Peter Moody trained filly has also been installed the $4.40 favourite for the Atlantic Jewel Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au just ahead of the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig trained Stay With Me at $4.60 while Lazumba is marked at $13.
In early Thousand Guineas betting Pasadena Girl heads the market order at $7 and Lazumba is a $41 chance.
Atlantic Jewel Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.40 Pasadena Girl, $4.60 Stay With Me, $7.50 Badawiya, $8 Sweet Redemption, $9 Don’t Doubt Marley, $10 Jameka, Sagaronne, $13 Lazumba, $17 Just One Moment, $26 Don’t Doubt Mamma, $31 Inner City Girl, $41 Haybah, $51 Grisbi’s Run, $61 Our Vidia, $126 Young Amazon.
