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Source: ANZ Bloodstock News
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Chris Waller’s outstanding mare Lazzura (Snitzel) showed her class and toughness once again in pushing her earnings beyond $3 million with her seventh black type success in Saturday’s $2 million The Invitation (Gr 2, 1400m) at Randwick.
Ridden by Tommy Berry with her regular rider James McDonald in Melbourne, the well backed $2.70 favourite jumped well from gate ten of 12, prompting Berry to leave her more forward than normal, sitting outside the rump of the leader Perfumist (El Roca).
While benefitting from the speed going out of the race down the High Street side, Lazzura still proved superior in taking the lead at the 250 metres and holding on well to score by 0.5 lengths ahead of Kris Lees’ fast-closing bolter Infancy (Wandjina) at $71.
The Gary Portelli-trained Verona Rose (Castelvecchio), who appeared a threat early in the straight, held on for third, a further 0.1 lengths back, at $13, with $4.80 second elect Gerringong (Blue Point) fourth. Perfumist, at $6, faded to seventh.
Six of Lazzura’s stakes wins have come at Group level, capped by last autumn’s Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m) before her game second in the WFA All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
With Waller also in Melbourne, stable foreman Darren Beadman said plans were uncertain for the five-year-old, who’s had three runs this campaign. She hadn’t raced for a month before Saturday, since her victory in the Golden Pendant (Gr 2, 1400m) at Rosehill.
“She’s the winner of the Coolmore. Her win the other day in the Golden Pendant – she’s just class,” Beadman said.
“She had to burn the candle at both ends today. It was, ‘Do we go forward, or do we go back?’ But the way she jumped, Tommy made an executive decision and said, ‘Bang. She’s the best horse in the race’.
“She ran ten-and-a-half [seconds] there one furlong. She really cut out some slick sectionals in the early stages, but once she got there, she gave herself a chance and switched off and she runs out a strong 1400.”
Beadman said Melbourne could be on the agenda for Lazzura, who ran fifth in the Empire Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) on Derby Day last year, though he appeared doubtful she would attempt the one-week back-up this time.
“It was a bit of a gut-buster today,” he said. “It was pretty slick time, and she was out on her feet the last 20 metres.
“But in saying that, whatever she does is just a bonus. She’s a Group 1-winning mare and she’s won her last two Group 2s.”
Berry said his riding plan wasn’t formed until after the barriers opened.
“I still had no idea what I was going to do going to the gates,” he said. “I thought, ‘I’ll ride her how she jumps’ and she pinged the lids.
“At the end of the day it’s not the way to ride her, but she’s the best horse in the race. Good horses overcome adversity and that is what she did today.
“I got a really easy time mid-race and that sort of helped her in the end there. She is a lot better horse with cover.
“Full credit to the team. This race has been a race they looked at for a long time. Ricky [Surace], the owner, was trying to book me five weeks out. He was obviously very keen on her. A good effort.”
Bred by Arrowfield Stud and associates Jungle Pocket, Lazzura was bought by Surace’s B2B Thoroughbreds for $500,000 from Arrowfield’s draft at Magic Millions Gold Coast in 2023.
She’s the third of five named foals for imported mare Laguna Azzurra (Heart’s Cry), a winner in Japan over 1800 metres who now has a yearling colt by Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) and was covered by Switzerland (Snitzel) last year.
Second foal Portorosa (Not A Single Doubt) was Listed-placed as a two-year-old, alongside a maiden win in eight starts.
Lazzura’s fifth dam was the superb Pacific Princess (Damascus), the US Grade 1 winner who was dam or granddam of seven stakes victors.
Now the winner of eight of 20 starts and $3.13 million, Lazzura is one of 178 stakes winners for the late five-time champion sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) from 1,769 runners at 10.06 per cent.