Lady Laguna is what everyone wants: Group 1 speed
A Group performer in every season she has raced, the outstanding Lady Laguna has consistently demonstrated class, toughness, and top-level ability throughout her career.
She burst onto the scene early as a juvenile with back-to-back metropolitan wins before finishing a narrow second in the Listed Lonhro Plate, followed by a third placing in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes behind subsequent Group 1 winners Fireburn (Rebel Dane) and She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice).
As a 3-year-old, the daughter of Overshare, a talented son of I Am Invincible, continued her rise, winning the Listed Mick Dittman Plate and collecting a host of Group placings across Melbourne and Sydney.
Her breakthrough came during the 2023/24 summer when she reached new heights. She captured the Listed Nudgee Stakes, before storming home in the $1 million Magic Millions Fillies & Mares Stakes on the Gold Coast. That rich vein of form continued in Sydney, where she cruised to victory in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes.
In one of her most memorable efforts, Lady Laguna ran a close second to boom sprinter and fellow sale entrant Zougotcha (Zoustar) in the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes, before emphatically announcing herself at the top level by defeating Think About It (So You Think {NZ}) and Espiona (Extreme Choice) in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick.
Lady Laguna wins the G1 Canterbury Stakes in an upset – and it’s a G1 salute from @G1TySchil!@aus_turf_club @ANeashamRacing pic.twitter.com/kQ3vaBfqr0
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 9, 2024
Since that Group 1 triumph, the mare has remained in strong company. At her most recent start, she ran a gallant third when beaten less than a length in the G2 Sapphire Stakes, behind Infancy (Wandjina).
Lady Laguna’s pedigree backs up her racetrack performance. She is out of the city-winning Encosta De Lago mare Catalina De Lago (NZ), a half-sister to stakes winners She Will Be Loved (Strategic) and Thorn Dancer (NZ) (Thorn Park).
The wider family includes Group winners such as Extreme Warrior, Gotta Have Heart (Show A Heart), Swear, All Thrills Too (St. Covet), Silky Red Boxer (NZ), and triple Group 1-winning mare Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel).
“Lady Laguna has been a dream for us to be involved with,” said OTI Racing Director Gus Boyd. “She’s been such a high-class, tough and honest filly throughout her career.
“She’s (Lady Laguna) been such a high-class, tough and honest filly throughout her career.” – Gus Boyd
“While her Group 1 win in the Canterbury Stakes was the pinnacle, we’re extremely proud of her consistency, having finished in the top three in black-type and feature races on 17 occasions.
“I’m not sure we’ve ever had another horse in our colours with an attitude as good as hers,” Boyd added.
Femminile, a chance to race on with a talented filly
Group 1 winner Lady Laguna won’t be the only high-class offering from OTI Racing in the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale supplementary catalogue. She will be joined by Femminile, a talented daughter of Dundeel (NZ), who also presents as a compelling racing and broodmare prospect.
A Listed winner as a juvenile in the Listed Oaklands Plate, Femminile continued to underline her quality at three. In her most recent outing, she finished strongly in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks, just 3.3l from the winner Benagil (Manhattan Rain), showcasing her toughness and staying ability.
Bred for versatility and class, Femminile is out of the seven-time winner and stakes-performed Pierro mare Femme Fireball, a full sister to multiple Group winner and $744,000 earner Rock (Pierro).
Both Lady Laguna and Femminile will be offered as part of the Newgate Farm consignment, a standout draft in this year’s National Broodmare Sale.
“Lady Laguna is a spectacular-looking mare with a rare combination of attributes: Group 1 level consistency, outstanding outcross genetics and proven black type performance in every season she’s raced,” said Newgate’s Henry Field.
“She is a gem, and we at Newgate are incredibly grateful to Terry, Gus and the OTI team for entrusting her to our draft,” Field added.
The above is an article from Dane McLeod from The Thoroughbred Report (TDN/TTR) and can be read here.