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Gai Waterhouse is chasing an amazing eighth win in the $100,000 Mona Lisa Stakes at Wyong on Friday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Waterhouse has dominated the feature fillies and mares event, first run in 1989, for the past 20 years.
She won the race for the first time in 1993 with Pops Dream in her first 12 months of training and has since been successful with Bruschetta (1998), Altiero (2001), Pasikatera (2006), Moti (2009), Sweetest Melody (2011) and Miss Stellabelle (2012).
Her hopes of a third successive win in the Listed race rest with No Looking Back, the filly who lost the 2012 Magic Millions 2YO Classic on protest to stablemate Driefontein.
No Looking Back won the Listed Carrington Stakes at Rosehill last season and is expected to improve sharply in the Mona Lisa after resuming with a sixth behind Hidden Kisses in the Toy Show Quality (1300m) at Warwick Farm on August 24.
Hidden Kisses will again oppose No Looking Back in a bid to keep intact her unbeaten record since joining the Chris Waller stable from Brisbane.
Hidden Kisses won at Randwick at her first start for Waller before she beat ATC Oaks winner Royal Descent at Warwick Farm but has paid the penalty for her winning form with a 4kg rise from her last start to the topweight of 58kg in the Mona Lisa.
The Mona Lisa has attracted a classy field including the Peter Moody-trained A Time For Julia and fast Canberra mare Capital Commander.
Moody ahs sent the lightly-raced A Time For Julia from his Melbourne stable after her eye catching first-up second at Caulfield on August 17 at only her fourth career start.
