Champion trainer Chris Waller claims his eighth Phar Lap Stakes in the last decade with gutsy filly Lazzura

Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller has made the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes his own in the last decade all with fillies, and Lazzura continued the trend with a dominant victory.

Lazzura crushes her rivals in the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill. Picture: Getty Images

Lazzura joined Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller’s celebrated club of Group 2 $300,000 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) winners with a dominant effort at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

In the last 10 years, Waller has prepared a remarkable eight winners of three-year-old feature starting with his incomparable champion Winx in 2015.

Winx’s win was followed by Foxplay (2017), Unforgotten (2018), Verry Elleegant (2019), Funstar (2020), Hungry Heart (2021) and Zougotcha (2023).

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These winners all share some common traits – they are fillies and each was successful at Group 1 level.

Lazzura ($4), ridden by Tommy Berry, will be given her opportunity to secure a Group 1 win during the Sydney autumn carnival after scoring by one-and-three-quarter lengths from Wonder Boy ($5) with Declichy Boulevard ($2.35 favourite) a length away third.

“I would say she would head towards probably a Queen of the Turf Stakes,” Waller said.

“It’s still four weeks away, but we’ve won that race with a three-year-old before (Foxplay, 2017) by sort of keeping a horse fresh.”

Waller said the Phar Lap Stakes is a “stepping stone for the future”.

“A good example is this filly, Lazzura,” Waller said.

“She’s been third behind some very good fillies throughout her career and in particular this preparation.

Lazzura dominates the G2 Phar Lap Stakes! 🏆@cwallerracing | @TommyBerry21pic.twitter.com/DxzYB2vvFt

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 15, 2025

“It just gives her a little bit of confidence ‘OK, I can go out there and do it myself’.

“So, that’s what I see the race as. It’s a race that says, ‘okay, I’ve had a step back from Group 1 level, I’ve got a chance to do it myself and I’ve done it’. Hopefully she can step off that.”

Berry, who rode Winx to win the Phar Lap Stakes a decade ago, seized control of the race when he positioned Lazzura outside the leader early.

“You feel sorry for horses like this and you just hope it doesn’t dent their confidence chasing good horses around all the time,” Berry said.

“But I think that says a lot about her attitude. She came here and she was very full of herself today.

“She hasn’t been in a race with a slow tempo like that since her first start where she could show her turn of speed.

“That turn of speed’s been dragged out of her by good horses lately so it was a very good effort for her.”

Merc motors towards Doncaster after Ajax win

Trainer Bjorn Baker once thought Iowna Merc wouldn’t run 1500m galloping down the slopes of Mt Everest, now he’s got the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) in his sights.

Iowna Merc earned ballot exemption into the $4m feature mile field after toughing it out to beat Willaidow in the Group 2 $300,000 Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens.

The son of Winning Rupert has reinvented himself this preparation after competing as a sprinter for the bulk of his career.

Iowna Merc showed his growing versatility last start by winning the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) before backing it up with another gutsy performance in the Ajax.

“He has been a revelation this preparation,” Baker, who become an Australian citizen on Wednesday, said.

“He has done a marvellous job. I trained his father so it’s good to have a good one by him.

“The Darby colours, they just find them. The race definitely worked out, they didn’t go overly quick.

What a fight! 👊

Iowna Merc gets the nose down to win in a photo finish for the @BBakerRacing stable! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/wWfIVNGwKK

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 15, 2025

“He got 1500m. If you said he got 1500m at the start of the prep I would have said he wouldn’t get it down Mt Everest so it just shows you it’s a funny game.”

Jockey Josh Parr had Iowna Merc ($11) stalking pacesetter Willaidow ($7.50) and paired off with the Marc Conners-trained galloper at the top of the straight to fight it out.

Willaidow wouldn’t lie down but Iowna Merc got the better of him late to score by a half head with two lengths back to the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained West Of Africa ($11) in third.

“Isn’t it remarkable,” Parr said.

“He’s so lightly framed.

“He’s a big tall lad like me, I feel like I can wrap my legs around him two times. He’s got a big heart and a lot of will to win.”

Iowna Merc was slashed from $101 to $26 to win the Doncaster Mile at Royal Randwick on April 5.

Baker is eager to push on towards the Group 1 test where Iowna Merc has the featherweight of 52kg.

“He will drop considerably in weight and is going well,” Baker said.

“He is a happy horse, we don’t have to do a lot with him.

“He has had a lot of races this preparation but he will be there (in the Doncaster).”

Willaidow’s jockey Zac Lloyd thought the gelding was ‘stiff’ not to have got the nod in a tight finish.

- Mitch Cohen

Originally published as Champion trainer Chris Waller claims his eighth Phar Lap Stakes in the last decade with gutsy filly Lazzura