Talented filly Speak Fondly led from start to finish to record an impressive victory in the 2015 Silver Shadow Stakes at Royal Randwick this afternoon.
Speak Fondly was too good for her rivals in the 2015 Silver Shadow Stakes at Royal Randwick this afternoon. Photo by: Steve Hart
Speak Fondly was slightly slow out of the gates, but she mustered speed quickly with blinkers on for the first time and she took up the running from Kangarilla Joy to open up a fair gap on the rest of the field.
Kimberley Star was settled towards the tail of the field by jockey Tim Clark and she made up plenty of ground late, but Speak Fondly had the race won a long way from home and she hang on strongly to record her second win at Group level.
Waterhouse has had a big opinion of Speak Fondly since she made her racing debut with a close third in the Listed Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick on October 4 and she started her autumn campaign with a close second in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm on February 28.
Speak Fondly claimed her maiden race win with a very brave victory in the Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 14 and she was sent to the spelling paddock following her flat effort in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.
Waterhouse is yet to declare the exact path that Speak Fondly will follow during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival, but she has been included in the nominations for both the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 12 and the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 10.
There was plenty of betting support for Kimberley Star in the lead-up to the Silver Shadow Stakes after recording three straight wins at Warwick Farm, Royal Randwick and Rosehill Gardens and she was far from disgraced with a fast-finishing second.
Lake Geneva started the race as favourite following her maiden race win in the Sigma Plate (1000m) at Hawkesbury on August 6 and she was given a nice run in transit by Tommy Berry, but she was unable to sprint with Kimberley Star when she was asked for an extra effort and she looked to tire late in third.
Italy hit the line fairly to finish fourth, while Fireworks and Kangarilla Joy both tired badly in the final stages of the race.
