Sezanne needs luck from wide barrier in Fillies Classic

Improving filly Sezanne will need more than her fair share of luck from a wide barrier if she is to win Group 2 $200,000 P.W. Glass Fillies Classic (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Hugh Bowman, above, rides Sezanne in the Fillies Classic at Moonee Valley. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Hugh Bowman, above, rides Sezanne in the Fillies Classic at Moonee Valley. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

The Chris Waller trained Sezanne has drawn the outside barrier in the Fillies Classic that has been reduced to thirteen runners with the early scratchings of the Kiwi filly Ceylon and the Lindsay Park trained Khaseeb.

Hugh Bowman replaces James McDonald who rode the More Than Ready filly last start when third behind Global Glamour and Yankee Rose in the Group 1 $500,000 Sydney Airport Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 1.

The form out of the race is first class with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Global Glamour going on to win the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield the next week.

And Yankee Rose also claimed a Group 1 win the following week at her next start in beating Swear and Prized Icon in the $500,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick and will be ling up in the Group 1 $3m Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Waller can see the form line is very strong going into the Fillies Classic but admits the wide barrier is a concern.

“She has drawn wide so just needs an ounce of luck,” Waller said.

“The form out of her last start, the Flight Stakes is terrific. It’s red hot, there has been two Group 1 winners out of it.”

“The winner went on to win the Thousand Guineas and Yankee Rose is running in the Cox Plate tomorrow.”

“Those two aren’t there and if she can overcome that draw she will be the one to beat.”

Sezanne has been solid in the betting for the Fillies Classic and is the second pick at $3.50 with Ladbrokes.com.au behind the Shane Nichols trained I Am A Star who sits at the top of the market order at $2.60.

I Am A Star has been racing consistently over the Spring Carnival with a win four starts back in the Group 3 $150,000 Winslow Group Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 13 and a last start second to Global Glamour in the Thousand Guineas.

Market order for the Fillies Classic at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.60 I Am A Star, $3.50 Sezanne, $7.50 La Luna Rossa, $9.50 Exocet, $11 Chipanda, $16 Stop Making Sense, $20 Nurse Kitchen, $31 Outback Rain, Alaskan, $34 Classic Diva, $51 Nina Peak, Kamili, $81 Mitali Assa Vedo.

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.