3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes after Lady Laguna takes out the Group 3 TAB Southern Cross Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Lady Laguna (A Neasham/J McDonald) - $2.25F
2nd: Hard To Say (J Deamer/D Gibbons) - $4.20
3rd: Malkovich (B Baker/J Parr) - $5
Winning Time: 1:08.74 Last 600m: 32.48
Margins: 1¾L x ¾L
Lady Laguna is in some serious form! @mcacajamez and @ANeashamRacing get the job done in the TAB Southern Cross Stakes pic.twitter.com/VFCz9qWzg2
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 3, 2024
Winning Trainer: Annabel Neasham
On the horse: "She's a star, she's three on the bounce now. Her CV's getting bigger and bigger. The great thing with her is she's so diverse. She'll go on a bottomless track, she'll go on a firm deck. She can be on speed, she can sit back. She's so diverse.
On the run and what's next: "She jumped really well today which was pleasing to see because she was coming back in trip from two runs where she had been ridden a bit quieter. She just makes her own luck, she's very tenacious and I think she will just keep on improving and hopefully we can pick off a race like the Millie Fox in a few weeks."
"It would be great if she could stretch out a little bit further because obviously there's a couple of nice mares races at the top level. We'll just take it a race at a time, but delighted with that."
On if the Millie Fox will suit: "I think so, 1300m."
On her turn of foot: "She's very sharp. We were not sure at the Magic Millions whether she'd get that trip (1300m) but she did and James (McDonald) thought she'd get further. We just freshened her up for us, she's only had one gallop since the Magic Millions and she's just a real athlete. Fantastic for OTI."
Winning Jockey: James McDonald
On sitting on speed: "It was a nice position to be in, that's for sure. Especially outside of the lead no dramas at all on a fit, in-form mare that's absolutely airborne. I don't know what these TAB traders 'Lay of the day' - what's that go?"
On if she is better chasing: "100%. She would actually chase down. You can see when she hit the front, she just thinks her job is done. Lovely mare in form, well placed."
Beaten Jockeys:
Nash Rawiller (Baller): "He was OK."
Josh Parr (Malkovich): "Really brave effort from him. 1200m is obviously the telling factor. He was in it for a long way."
Jason Collett (On The Lead): "Slow out. Slow tempo to run on but never in it."
Reece Jones (Fifteen Rounds): "Up in grade he didn't disgrace himself. Kept working to the line well."
Dylan Gibbons (Hard To Say): "Enormous run. Wheels were just spinning when the winner was off and gone but chased hard."
Kerrin McEvoy (Kristilli): "She raced well considering a slow tempo. Ran on well from the back."
