Chris Waller has secured his fourth straight Coolmore Classic, as James McDonald edges closer to Damien Oliver’s record tally of major victories after Lazzura’s courageous triumph in the highlight event at Rosehill.
Carrying 58kg, Lazzura marked the first mare since Sunline (60kg) in 2002 to triumph in the Coolmore Classic (1500m) with more than 57kg, boosting McDonald to 128 Group 1 successes.
Just one more victory is needed for him to match the Australian mark set by the retired Damien Oliver, and McDonald appears well-positioned to do so next Saturday at Rosehill, where his rides are expected to feature the undefeated sensation Autumn Glow in the George Ryder Stakes.
A modest McDonald indicated the record wasn’t on his mind and praised Lazzura for her grit and resolve.
“It’s a funny feeling because ‘Ollie’ (Damien Oliver) is so great, I don’t feel like I should be in that echelon just yet,” McDonald said.
“I feel very privileged to be in the position where I’m getting there slowly.
“It wasn’t me, it was her just really biting down on the mouthguard and having a really decent crack.
“I thought she was all-out with one hundred metres to go, but that will to find the line, it’s something you can’t teach them, you can’t train in them.”
Lazzura had achieved Group 1 placings in last year’s Surround Stakes (1400m), yet this Coolmore victory represented her initial elite-level success.
Following a narrow defeat upon her return in the Millie Fox Stakes (1300m), Waller was delighted to witness her battling fiercely for Saturday’s success.
“We had her a bit underdone first-up and rode her a pair too close. Today, we didn’t panic from the draw. We went back, got cover three-wide,” Waller said.
“I thought, following that run last start, you’re going to fold up that last hundred, but she was strong.
“Well deserved. She has been running around against some very good horses without a lot of luck going her way.”
Waller plans to discuss Lazzura’s autumn targets with her owners, with options being the Doncaster Mile (1600m) or the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) on April 4 and 11 respectively.
“I’ve got a philosophy that horses don’t just win one Group One. If they’re good enough to win one, they normally win two or three,” he said.
Lazzura ($5) held on by a short neck against Arctic Glamour ($13), while Vivy Air ($26) surged late for a striking third, the same distance back.
Savvy Hallie, the $4.20 favourite, set the pace but weakened in the closing stages to end up eleventh, though jockey Nash Rawiller noted she simply couldn’t sustain the trip at this point in her development.
“Disappointing on the day, but she will bounce back,” Rawiller said.
Explore the top Australian betting sites for the best racing betting markets on the Coolmore Classic.
