Lazzura wins grand final to lead in memorable day for connections

It was job done for owners B2B Thoroughbreds after Lazzura did it the hard way to claim the $2 million The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick as part of a feature double for them, a haul of five winners for premier trainer Chris Waller and a treble for jockey Tommy Berry.

The father-and-son B2B team of Ricky Surace snr and jnr claimed the rich mares feature with their group 1 winner, which crossed from gate 10 to sit outside the lead before digging deep late to hold off in-foal Infancy by a half-length.

The five-year-old Snitzel mare, a $2.70 favourite on Saturday, won the group 1 Coolmore Classic and was second in the All Aged Stakes in the autumn and was coming off victory in the group 2 Golden Pendant.

Asked if Lazzura could back up in the group 1 Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington next week, Surace jnr said: “She’s had a hard run there.”

“There’s the Hot Danish, there’s the CF Orr, but we’ll just make sure she’s come out of that all right.

“That was a hard run but thank God he did it. She ran out a bit at the end, but she was done on the line.

“This was the grand final and she’s done it, and that’s enough. We’ll assess it, maybe the Orr, but most likely the paddock.”

Berry said: “It’s not the way to ride her, but she’s the best horse in the race. Good horses overcome adversity and that is what she did today. Full credit to the team.

“This race has been a race they looked at for a long time. Ricky, the owner, was trying to book me five weeks out. He was obviously very keen on her.”

Berry and the Suraces combined earlier in the day with Richard and Will Freedman-trained Revolina to claim the listed Brian Crowley Stakes (1200m).

The homebred Russian Revolution filly, which almost died at birth, stepped up from a maiden Hawkesbury win on debut to lead under Berry and kick clear for a length and a half win over Punxsutawney Phil in the $200,000 race for three-year-olds.

Will Freedman said the Suraces targeted the race given it attracted only a handful of nominations, and that they hoped she could fill their slot in the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight (1100m) race for three-year-olds in January on the Gold Coast. The Suraces won the inaugural Sunlight as slot-holders with Private Harry.

Freedman said Revolina had taken time to get to races but had always shown ability.

“She was just immature. You see her high head carriage, it was worse before,” Freedman said.

“She’s always shown a lot of speed. Our plan wasn’t necessarily to lead, but good jockeys make the right call.”

He said Revolina was “touch and go to even survive” after being born a “red bag foal”, meaning the foal is cut off from the mare’s oxygen supply and needs immediate treatment at birth.

“No sales company wanted her because they went a bit cold on Russian Revolution’s that year, so it was good,” Surace said of retaining the filly.

Waller and Berry later combined to win the $1 million Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) with Declichy Boulevard, which finished over the top of Linebacker.

Waller assistant Darren Beadman said the mare would be well suited to the 1800m $2 million Five Diamonds at Rosehill in two weeks.

Waller also won the Craven Plate with Lindermann, the Callander-Presnell with Central Europe and the Kirkham Plate with Exo Velocity.

Nash Rawiller was pushing for a trip to the Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in two weeks with Lindermann after the seven-year-old joined Phar Lap and Chatham as hat-trick winners of the group 2 Craven Plate (1800m).

Rawiller gained an early lead on Lindermann ($2.25 favourite) in the $750,000 race and controlled the tempo before they held off Tom Kitten by a length.

Phar Lap (1929-31) and Chatham (1932-34) also won three successive Craven Plates, while Gloaming (1919, 1922, 1924) grabbed a treble across six editions.

Raced by Winx part-owner Debbie Kepitis’ Woppitt Bloodstock, Lindermann went past $6 million in earnings.