Star filly Lady Shenandoah will need to break 28-year-old record to claim victory in Group 1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill

Lady Shenandoah will need to produce a history-making performance if she is to overcome her rivals and claim victory in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill.

Lady Shenandoah needs to set a weight-carrying record for a three-year-old filly this century to win the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The Chris Waller-trained filly has been allocated 54.5kg for the Coolmore Classic, a handicap that has proven beyond a filly since Assertive Lass won with 55.5kg in 1997.

But Lady Shenandoah’s main rival, Amelia’s Jewel has been shouldered with an impost of 58kg for the feature fillies and mares race, a handicap no horse has successfully carried since the great Sunline had 60kg in 2002.

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This sets up an intriguing clash between the outstanding duo who dominate TAB Fixed Odds betting for the Coolmore with Lady Shenandoah favourite at $2.50 and Amelia’s Jewel next at $5.50.

They are the form horses going into the Coolmore with Lady Shenandoah going close to the Randwick 1400m track record last start winning the Surround Stakes in 1min 20.56sec.

On the same day, Amelia’s Jewel ran 1min 23.47sec to win the Guy Walter Stakes although her closing sectionals were extremely fast.

However, Lady Shenandoah is unbeaten this season including two wins at Group 1 level and she is on target to become the first three-year-old filly to win the Coolmore since Typhoon Tracy in 2009.

Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller’s decision to start Lady Shenandoah in the Coolmore Classic and not the Group 2 $300,000 Phar Lap Stakes against her own age is a vote of confidence in the star filly.

Another great battle between Lady Shenandoah and Lady Of Camelot in the G1 Surround Stakes with Flight Stakes winner Lady Shenandoah reigning supreme! 🙌@cwallerracing | @mcacajamez | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/WigDwJVVsJ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 1, 2025

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Waller has made the Phar Lap Stakes his own in recent years with seven wins in the last decade – all with fillies including the great Winx in 2015 – but he can sense an opportunity for Lady Shenandoah to record another Group 1 win.

“Lady Shenandoah is a very talented filly and I’m not surprised she has got to this level,” Waller said.

“I thought a lot of her as a two-year-old but it is easy to think a horse can turn out well because they quite simply don’t all get to the heights you expect.

“But she has backed up some nice two-year-old form as an immature horse and as a three-year-old she has matured, she has been dominant and with a bright future to come.”

Waller likened Lady Shenandoah to his outstanding mare Fangirl, the winner of 10 races and more than $9m prizemoney.

“Lady Shenandoah is a sprinter-miler, very similar to a Fangirl type of horse,” Waller said.

.@cwallerracing and @TommyBerry21 start the day off on a winning note, with Declichy Boulevard at Warwick Farm!@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/krAcKpmKat

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 5, 2024

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“From 1200m to 1600m she is very effective. We might sneak her out over a little bit further for one run to test the water.”

Lady Shenandoah is at $8 second favourite for the Group 1 $4m Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 5 but needs to win the Coolmore Classic impressively and come through the race well to convince Waller to run in the big mile race on Day One of The Championships.

Waller has a strong hand in the Coolmore with the mares Olentia ($19), Scarlet Oak ($26) and Firestorm ($34).

The champion trainer also has an eighth Phar Lap Stakes win in his sights with four fillies taking on the “boys” on Saturday – favourite Declichy Boulevard ($3.30), Lazzura ($3.40), Real Class ($9) and Movin Out ($13).

Originally published as Star filly Lady Shenandoah will need to break 28-year-old record to claim victory in Group 1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill