History Against Mares In Chipping Norton
- Tuesday, 24 February 2015 07:10
Two of Australasia's best mares will be vying to end a Chipping Norton Stakes hoodoo when they take on the males at Warwick Farm.
Silent Achiever and Lucia Valentina, among 16 nominations for the first Group One race of the Sydney autumn carnival, have history against them.
Tuesday Joy in 2009 is the only mare to have won the weight-for-age feature in the past 25 years and the first since Heat Of The Moment in 1986.
Lucia Valentina and Silent Achiever both tackle the Chipping Norton after fine returns in the Apollo Stakes at Randwick where they finished fourth and fifth respectively.
While Silent Achiever has a handy second-up record, Lucia Valentina has tended to sprint well fresh then race flat at her next start, a statistic not lost on her trainer Kris Lees.
"That is something we're aware of, but I think she has been more forward going into a first-up run (in the past) so she possibly was looking for further both times at her second-up runs," Lees said.
He believes the determining factor in the backmarker's Chipping Norton performance will be tempo.
"It's pace-related for her second-up at a mile," he said.
Lees has nominated Thump and Hera for the Liverpool City Cup and the Guy Walter Stakes but both are likely to contest the mares' race.
Tye Angland has retained the mount on Thump who returned from a failed stud career to win the Triscay Stakes earlier this month.
"I'm pretty sure they'll both go to the Guy Walter. The Liverpool City Cup looks to have a bit of depth there," Lees said.
Villiers Stakes winner Rudy and Gai Waterhouse's French import Pornichet are among the Liverpool City Cup entries.
Pornichet makes his Sydney debut after taking out a Group Three race at the back-end of the Melbourne spring carnival.
Lees has sent in-form filly Marple Miss to Melbourne rather than take on a talent-laden Surround Stakes field which includes First Seal and surprise Light Fingers Stakes winner Adrift.
Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist makes his debut for the stable in the Peter Young Stakes at Caulfield, a race which will determine the horse's autumn carnival program.
