Speak Fondly has been backed into 2015 Furious Stakes odds of $2.70, but trainer Gai Waterhouse is just as happy with English ahead of the Group 2 event at Royal Randwick this weekend.
Speak Fondly led from start to finish in the 2015 Furious Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Speak Fondly started her 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a front-running victory in the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on August 22 and she has been backed from $3 into $2.70 in early Furious Stakes betting markets.
English has not had a race start since she failed to fire in the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 6 and will go into the race first-up, but Waterhouse told Racing Ahead that her duo will fight out the finish in the 2015 Furious Stakes this weekend.
“They are two lovely fillies,” Waterhouse said.
“Speak Fondly has done a treat since her last win.
“English is resuming and she is very poised for tomorrow.
“They could easily run first and second and I couldn’t be happier with either of them.”
Speak Fondly has shown a degree of tactical versatility during her racing career to date, but she led from start to finish in the Silver Shadow Stakes last start and Waterhouse expects jockey Kerrin McEvoy to employ similar tactics in the Furious Stakes.
English was settled in the second half of the field when she took out her maiden at Kembla Grange on January 31 and the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on March 7, but Waterhouse expects the Encosta De Lago filly to be slightly better than midfield in the Furious Stakes tomorrow.
“English will probably be a little bit further back about midfield and Speak Fondly likes to race on the speed that is her racing pattern,” Waterhouse said.
Speak Fondly is available at 2015 Furious Stakes odds of $2.70 with Ladbrokes and she is a clear favourite from English ($3.90), Team Snowden-trained Serene Majesty ($7), Godolphin-owned Ottoman ($7.50), market mover Perignon ($8.50) and Team Hawkes-trained Lake Geneva ($11).
The Furious Stakes has been a very strong form race throughout its history and it has been previously taken out by the likes of Research (1988), Angst (1993), Sunline (1998), Samantha Miss (2008), Streama (2011), Dear Demi (2012) and Winx (2014).
