There is a case to be made that Furious Stakes winner North Star Lass is the forgotten filly heading into the group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
She was part of a surprise result in the Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) won by Zougotcha at $13 from In Secret, which was favourite and went on to win the Run To The Rose. North Star Lass was third at $31.
Tim Clark (red cap) gets North Star Lass to fight back and beat Willinga Beast in the Furious Stakes. Credit:Getty
North Star Lass franked the form by fighting back to win the Furious Stakes (1200m) on a heavy track as a $5 chance after being clearly headed, and she goes into this race as the leader of the Princess Series.
But it’s only now that Tulloch Lodge co-trainer Adrian Bott was expecting her to be at her best.
“She has done really well since the Furious Stakes, and we always felt that getting out in trip would suit her,” Bott said. “She is just a tough filly that takes everything we throw at her.
“She has drawn well again and can put herself on pace, and the natural tempo off 1400m will really suit her.
“She was strong late at the end of a testing 1200 in the Furious, and the run hasn’t knocked her around at all.”
North Star Lass was surprisingly a $7 chance when betting open on the Tea Rose Stakes but has been well supported into $5 second favourite behind Zougotcha at $2.60 for the third leg of the Princess Series.
“She has been consistent in the first two legs of the series, and she is going to be right there again,” Bott said. “She is also versatile in any conditions, so if the track gets soft it won’t worry her.”
Bott was leaning towards keeping Cross Talk in Sydney for the Bill Ritchie Stakes over the group 3 Cameron Stakes at Newcastle on Friday. The emerging miler is favourite for both races, which carry an exemption from the ballot to Epsom.
Cross Talk put together a couple of wins, including the Winter Challenge, before running third to Skyman in the Rowley Mile, and the stable has targeted this week as a way into Epsom.
“The aim is to get him into the Epsom, and we just want to choose the right race,” Bott said. “He had a good freshen-up since his last run and had a trial to be ready for this, so the 1400m probably suits him better.
“He goes on any ground and has drawn a little softer at Randwick, which make him hard to beat.”
Randwick Guineas winner Converge could be saved for another day if the track get towards heavy for the George Main Stakes.
“He struggled in the heavy ground last time, and he struggled on it in the Rosehill Guineas and the Doncaster, so there is enough data to say we shouldn’t run him on wet tracks again,” Bott said.
“The Golden Eagle is his grand final, but if he misses on Saturday we would take the Silver Eagle path rather than the Epsom.
“The first option is to be there. I would love to have him in the Epsom third up because he is going really well.”
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