Chris Waller‘s outstanding filly, Lady Shenandoah, continued her Group 1 success with a narrow victory over stablemate Firestorm in the 2025 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Lady Shenandoah winning the 2025 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill in Sydney for Chris Waller. Photo: © 2025 – Bradley Photos.

“Pre-race it wasn’t perfect, it’s a warm Rosehill day, and she had a good sweat which scared me a little, but it was a great ride from that draw to get into the spot that he did and that certainly saved a bit of petrol for late,” Waller told Sky Thoroughbred Central. 

Lady Shenandoah ($2.60F) added the Coolmore Classic to her Group 1 Surround Stakes and Flight Stakes victories, drawing comparisons to Waller’s legendary Winx.

“The good fillies that we have had just kept getting better and better and better,” the master trainer said.

“She’s already there. So, our job is to try and get her to that next level again – repeat success at Group One level. It’s not going to be easy for her and some of those great horses that we have had have been later maturers so I don’t like to compare – but Winx wasn’t doing this at this age.”

Lady Shenandoah enjoyed a smooth run, positioning herself perfectly for the final stretch.

Lady Of Camelot ($5), trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, took the lead 300m from the finish, but Lady Shenandoah responded strongly, overtaking her rival inside the final furlong.

Firestorm ($14), another Waller-trained mare, finished strongly to claim second place on the back of her Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes success, pushing Lady Of Camelot into third.

“She’s pretty good,” winning hoop James McDonald said of Lady Shenandoah.

“She’s doing the right things anyway. She wasn’t entitled to win, she was all out at the 100m, and she was worked up prior to the start which was a bit of a concern.

“Just whether that was her home track. But we were able to take a couple of minutes where she took a breath around at the start.

“She began well and fitted in and showed her quality fighting spirit. I think that she is a fast filly and as she gets older and starts filling out into her frame. I think that she will come back in trip and be even faster.”

Waller indicated that Lady Shenandoah might not race again during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, although he remained open to the possibility.

“I do tend to change my mind a little bit as I’m getting older,” he said.

“I would say it is highly unlikely, but I will speak to the owners – with due respect to them of course – and work out what she needs to do to be right in the spring.”

Lady Shenandoah is now among the favourites for the Doncaster Mile and Queen Of The Turf Stakes, both run over the Randwick mile on April 5 and 12 respectively, with the filly exempt from ballot for both Group 1 events.

2025 Coolmore Classic Results

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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