It was billed as the battle of Queensland’s best, but southern raiders proved far too good with Annabel Neasham sounding an early carnival warning shot in the Listed Mick Dittman Plate at Doomben on Saturday.
In a race stacked with young, emerging Queensland talent, it was Neasham’s battle-hardened duo of Lady Laguna and Swiss Exile that proved superior, fighting out a ding-dong finish over the final furlong.
Only arriving to Neasham’s Eagle Farm satellite stable on Friday morning, Lady Laguna continued her remarkable career, finally breaking through for her first stakes victory, despite having placed seven times at the level.
It comes as Neasham’s Brisbane stable prepares for the arrival of Queensland specialist Zaaki next week, who is on a winter carnival campaign, looking to win his third consecutive Hollindale Stakes in a fortnight’s time.
“She has been everywhere this filly, up here, down to Melbourne and in Sydney, hopefully we can have a nice carnival with all the horses that are here or are coming up,” Brisbane-based assistant trainer Todd Pollard said.
“It is good to quinella a race like that at the start of the carnival, there are a heaps of stakes races coming up.
“They only got here Friday morning, they get off the truck at 6:30 in the morning, but they are well travelled these horses, they are tough and resilient.
“Annabel was pretty confident sending those two up for today, obviously they have the Sydney form.
“You have to respect the Queenslanders, it was no easy task, but they have both run really well.
“It is (Lady Laguna’s) first stakes win, she is stakes placed numerous times and has run behind some good horses
“Both horses have fitness on their side, so I’m sure there will be improvement from the other runners from today.”
Pollard confirmed Lady Laguna would likely push on to the Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) in a fortnight’s time.
The above article was written by Trenton Akers and can be read in full through here.