Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Outstanding filly Water Lou has recovered from a debilitating virus, and a sparkling workout has boosted trainer Mike Reed’s confidence leading into the $215,000 Allwood Stud Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Water Lou has drawn awkwardly on the outside of the back line in the Group 1 feature event over 2130m, with Reed declaring: “I would be happy with a better barrier draw, but I wouldn’t swap her with any other horse in the race.”
Water Lou had won at her first seven starts when she was the $1.55 favourite from the outside barrier (No. 9) in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park last Friday week. She was restrained at the start and raced in sixth place in the one-out, two-back position and lacked dash when a well-beaten seventh, five and a half lengths behind the winner Grand Couteau.
Reinsman Shannon Suvaljko reported that Water Lou did not travel comfortably, and Reed said that a blood count had revealed the filly was suffering from a virus before a course of antibiotics had enabled her to make a full recovery.
“We hoppled her at Gloucester Park last Saturday morning and she worked the best she has ever worked,” said Reed. “Kevin Keys drove her, and she ran the last mile of the workout in 1.56, with a final 800m of 56sec. She beat Miki Diamonds by 30 metres.
“Then on Monday morning she was in a paddock, and there were two wild ducks out there, and she was galloping around, chasing them.” That was a convincing sign of her well-being.
Reed said that he would leave race tactics on Friday night up to Suvaljko. “He will work things out,” he said. “Water Lou is a capable sit-sprinter, and she will run a good 400m or 600m.”
The tempo of the race is likely to be determined by either one of Capel trainer Aiden De Campo’s two runners, San Remo Beach (barrier one) or Miss Hepburn (barrier two). Each filly possesses good gate speed, but San Remo Beach (to be driven by Trent Wheeler) has tractability issues, and there appears a strong chance that De Campo will set the pace with Miss Hepburn.
Miss Hepburn certainly has excellent winning prospects. Her only success from six starts was five starts ago when she led from barrier three and beat Princess Katie by a head over 1730m at Gloucester Park on June 9.
Miss Hepburn’s subsequent four starts have been sound — a head second to Nase Vira, a fourth behind In A Wink, a second to Water Lou in the Group 2 Diamond Classic and a third behind Princess Katie and In A Wink.
Princess Katie, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr for trainer Michael Young, has won at two of her 11 starts, but faces a tough assignment from out wide at barrier No. 8.
Serpentine trainer Dylan Egerton-Green will be relying on a reasonable share of luck after his smart fillies Grand Couteau and Nase Vira fared poorly in the barrier draw. He will drive Nase Vira from the outside of the front line (No. 9), and Deni Roberts will be in the sulky behind Grand Couteau, who will start from barrier seven.
Grand Couteau finished strongly to win from Relatively Arma and Princess Katie over 2130m last Friday week. Nase Vira, who raced in the breeze in the middle stages and got to the front approaching the home turn, wilted to finish fourth.
“They both performed very well and I’m sure they will hold their own and be making good ground late,” said Egerton-Green. “Both have worked well since their latest runs, and I consider Nase Vira probably has a little advantage over Grand Couteau.”
Xceptional Arma is a smart filly, who is prepared by Colin Brown and has a record of five wins and three seconds from ten starts. She will begin from the inside of the back line and will be driven by Maddison Brown. She looks set to fight out the finish.