The baby of the field Alizee stormed home to beat the older mares in the 2018 Group 1 $1m Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) on day two of The Championships at Randwick today.
Alizee, above, wins the 2018 Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Alizee was the only three year old filly in the Group 1 for the fillies and the mares and trainer James Cummings was not frightened to take on the older brigade even though she was beaten against her own age last start.
Cummings had to bring Alizee back to the 1600m after running fourth in the Group 1 $500,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill two weeks ago and the plan worked out perfectly.
Alizee had shown her liking for the Randwick 1600m course with a win in the Group 1 $500,000 Flight Stakes for the fillies during the 22017 Sydney Spring Carnival and back on a good track boosted Cummings’ confidence.
Winning jockey Glyn Schofield showed enormous patience on Alizee ($8.50) who he settled near the tail of the field in the early and middle stages.
Schofield was still with the tailenders when the field went up the rise at the top of the straight, but then gave the Sepoy filly plenty of galloping room and she powered home to record a two lengths win over the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Prompt Response ($12) who ran another brave race.
Heaven’s Above ($15) was running on for third while the $7 equal favourites Silent Sedition (tenth) and Spanish Reef (fourteenth) faded in the run to the line.
Cummings said the drop back to 1600m and back on a good racing surface made all the difference that allowed Alizee to carry the famous Godolphin royal blue colours to victory in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes that is now known as the Coolmore Legacy Stakes.
“She returned with a blistering win over six furlongs here on a good track,” Cummings said.
“She just waited to get back to Randwick on a track that suits her and I think the team just had her in a perfect condition today.”
“She was fully wound up and she showed what she could do when she gets a Randwick mile under her belt.”
“She absolutely loves it.”
“We had Alizee here in perfect condition and she just blew them away.”
