King believes unbeaten filly has more to give in Champagne Stakes
By Craig Kerry
Rachel King is confident bargain buy Fernhill Mile winner Spicy Lu has more to give when she backs up into group 1 company for the $1 million Champagne Stakes (1600m) for two-year-olds at Randwick on Saturday.
A $30,000 yearling purchase for Queanbeyan trainer Nick Olive, Spicy Lu led all the way in the listed Fernhill on Saturday as part of a stakes double for King, who later rode Arapaho to a three-length victory in the $2 million Sydney Cup.
Rachel King riding Spicy Lu to victory in the Fernhill Mile last Saturday at Randwick.Credit: Getty Images
Coming off wins at Cowra and Albury to start her career, Spicy Lu became the first stakes victor for Yulong stallion Tagaloa with her almost two-length success over Tupakara and Lady Pankhurst.
She meets that pair again, plus top chances such as Within The Law ($5.50), Baillieu winner Nepotism ($4) and ATC Sires Produce Stakes placegetters State Visit ($6) and Buffalo ($6).
Spicy Lu has been well backed this week, coming in from $17 to $13 with Sportsbet, and King believed she should improve again for the jump in class.
“Before last Saturday, she’d had two runs, but she’d never even raced against her own age group,” King said.
Rachel King after winning aboard Spicy Lu last Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
“She’d beaten up the older horses a bit her first two runs. She did a good job, so I was confident that she had that bit of toughness about her.
“She was pretty green in front on Saturday. She had a good look around. She’s never led before, so I think having had that run, she’ll be a lot better this Saturday.
“She was very green up the straight. I still felt like I had a bit more up my sleeve. You don’t quite know what they’re going to find off the bridle, but she’s found pretty well her first two starts off the bridle, so I would have hoped I had a bit more there.”
Spicy Lu is the only horse in the 12-strong field to win over the mile, and King viewed that as a plus.
“She’s got to back up, and it’s a little bit different and obviously up in grade again, but she’s proven at the track and distance, which I think for a two-year-old is a big thing, especially a Randwick mile,” King said.
“It’s not an easy mile to get, and she certainly saw it out well.
“I like her attitude and the way she seems to just pin the ears back and have a proper crack.
“Coriah Keatings, she rides her track work every day, so she’s been giving me lots of updates about her, and she said she’s feeling really good.”
King rides Belclare in the other group 1 of the final Sydney autumn carnival meeting, the $1.5 million All Aged Stakes (1400m).
Seven-year-old Belclare, last spring’s Invitation and Hot Danish Stakes winner, is back with Bjorn Baker at Warwick Farm after a three-run unplaced campaign in New Zealand. She was a $31 chance from gate two on Saturday.
“She’s an older mare now as well, so you never quite know if they’re going to come back the same every prep, but the trial was good, the gallop on Tuesday was really good,” King said.
“I’ve got trust in Bjorn and his team, they wouldn’t be aiming her up at a race like this if they didn’t think she could run some kind of race.
“Her last preparation we had her back here in Sydney was super, so we’ll see if she can find that form again.”
King also rides Baker-prepared Dame Commander ($27) in the James HB Carr Stakes and Peter Snowden-trained Touristic ($14) in the JRA Plate.