Waterhouse Duo Headline 2015 Furious Stakes Field

The 2015 Furious Stakes field has been released and Gai Waterhouse has both English and Speak Fondly in the entries for the Group 2 event that will be held at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Speak Fondly is one of two Gai Waterhouse-trained gallopers that has been included in the 2015 Furious Stakes field. Photo by: Steve Hart

Speak Fondly is one of two Gai Waterhouse-trained gallopers that has been included in the 2015 Furious Stakes field. Photo by: Steve Hart

English made her racing debut with a win at Kembla Grange in January of last year and she stamped himself as a filly to watch when she took out the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on March 7 before she finished a close second behind Vancouver in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.

The Encosta De Lago filly was sent to the spelling paddock after she failed to fire in the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 6, but she has impressed the Waterhouse stable since she returned to trackwork and she performed well in two barrier trials at Royal Randwick on July 31 and August 21.

Speak Fondly took out the Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21 and missed the top ten in the Golden Slipper, but she returned to racing with a front-running performance in the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on August 22 and according to Waterhouse has trained on strongly in recent weeks.

Another trainer that will have multiple runners in the 2015 Furious Stakes field is Gerald Ryan, who has included both Fireworks and Perignon in the entries for the $175,000 event.

Fireworks returned to racing with a flat fifth place finish in the Silver Shadow Stakes, while Perignon will have his first race start since she finished second behind Speak Fondly in the Magic Night Stakes.

Godolphin are another stable that are set to have two runners in the 2015 Furious Stakes and both Ottoman and Calaverite are set to return to the races this weekend.

Ottoman has not been seen at the races since she scored a narrow win over Calaverite and Lake Geneva in the Group 3 Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 11, but she finished second behind Exosphere in a barrier trial over 809 metres at Warwick Farm on August 14.

Calaverite was just beaten by her stablemate in the Percy Sykes Stakes and she has also performed fairly in two barrier trials at Warwick Farm on July 24 and August 28.

Lake Geneva was far from impressed in the Silver Shadow Stakes, but will have the chance to return to her best form in the Furious Stakes this weekend.

JJ Atkins placegetter Looks To The Stars, Team Snowden-trained Serene Majesty and the resuming Capricious Sprit have also been included in the 2015 Furious Stakes field.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.