OTI Racing boss confirms Canterbury Stakes winner Lady Laguna won’t back-up in Group 1 Coolmore Classic
Annabel Neasham and OTI Racing will wait another week to unleash brilliant Canterbury Stakes winner Lady Laguna again.
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Trainer Annabel Neasham and OTI Racing will resist the temptation to back-up brilliant mare Lady Laguna in Saturday’s Group 1 $1m Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens but have two more major assignments on their radar including a Doncaster Mile tilt.
Lady Laguna scored her biggest ever win last weekend when shocking The Everest winner Think About It to salute in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Royal Randwick last Saturday.
Neasham said pre and post-race backing up in the Coolmore Classic had been a distinct possibility but Lady Laguna’s maiden major success will see the stable wait another week.
A date with the Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens is the likely next target, which could pave the way for a crack at the $4m Doncaster Mile on day one of The Championships.
Lady Laguna wins the G1 Canterbury Stakes in an upset - and it’s a G1 salute from @G1TySchil!@aus_turf_club@ANeashamRacingpic.twitter.com/kQ3vaBfqr0
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 9, 2024
“She won’t go on Saturday and we will probably head to the George Ryder,” OTI Racing’s Terry Henderson confirmed.
“She pulled up extremely well but the great part about the result on Saturday, it takes the pressure off backing her up in the Coolmore Classic.
“She is not particularly well weighted in the Coolmore as a result of that and as a result the Ryder is a more acceptable race for her.
“It is more challenging but it will tell us if she is capable of getting to 1500m and if she is, we will give the Doncaster a serious thought.”
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Lady Laguna is yet to race over more than 1300m in her career but has never been racing better than she is right now.
She has become one of Sydney’s most consistent mares.
The daughter of Overshare hasn’t missed the placings in her past 12 starts and has scored a pair of Listed victories, a Group 3, a Magic Millions feature as well as a Group 1 during that stretch over two preparations.
“She has been a remarkable little mare,” Henderson said.
“In our wildest dreams we didn’t think she would reach these heights as a four-year-old but she has come back from that long break in super conditions and keeps jumping the bar each time we race her.”
Over the weekend, Neasham also revealed plans not to run brilliant three-year-old filly Learning To Fly in the Coolmore Classic.
Meanwhile, Chris Waller will have four confirmed starters in the Coolmore Classic with race favourite Zougotcha ($4.50) set to be joined by Group 1 winners Hinged ($15) and Madame Pommery ($17) as well as classy mare Vienna Princess ($13).
It’s expected Ciaron Maher will have Semana ($6), Jennilala ($13) and Yonce ($26) among the acceptors on Wednesday.
Originally published as OTI Racing boss confirms Canterbury Stakes winner Lady Laguna won’t back-up in Group 1 Coolmore Classic
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