Rising star Leica Lucy had to live right up to her fast-growing reputation at Te Rapa on Saturday, getting herself out of deep trouble in the straight and winning the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m).
The classy daughter of Derryn went into the $275,000 feature as the hottest favourite of the day at $1.30, having won three of her four starts including dominant recent victories in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).
Soon after rounding the home turn at Te Rapa on Saturday, however, Leica Lucy was a long way from a certainty. She enjoyed a comfortable run in fourth along the rail, but then the leaders Wyndsong and Skymax started to slow down in front of her. At the same time, top jockey Michael McNab positioned his mount Top Shelf right next to the favourite and kept her in a pocket.
Leica Lucy’s jockey Craig Grylls searched frantically for a way through as time quickly ran out. He zigged and zagged and was shut out of a gap that closed in front of him when Top Shelf strode past Skymax and Wyndsong to take the lead three off the fence.
Grylls had to switch back across heels to Top Shelf’s outside with 200m remaining, and then Leica Lucy did the rest. She changed gears and drove past that rival, eventually opening up a comfortable winning margin of a length and three-quarters.
“With a horse like her, when you’re not going to be leading, there’s always that danger when you draw inside,” Grylls said. “The ones in front of you start stopping, while others start to improve around the outside of you. I just had to wait for a way through.
“Once she got a gap, she probably won even more easily than she did last time. I didn’t have to go for her with the stick. She’s really extended through the line strongly. Going up to 2000m for the first time today, her turn of foot was probably even better than last time. She’s very exciting.”
Leica Lucy is raced by her breeders, Heather and Peter Crofskey. During the week, they sold a share in the ownership to prominent Australian investor Ozzie Kheir. It was a case of déjà vu for Kheir, who also bought into Molly Bloom a few days before she won the Fillies’ Classic last year.
Trained by Robbie Patterson, Leica Lucy has now had five starts for four wins, a placing and more than $353,000 in stakes.
“That was a hard watch today,” Patterson admitted. “I could see that it was going to happen too, when Michael McNab was on our outside. He’s a very good rider and he was going to make things tough. But she just showed her quality.
“There was a lot of pressure on before this race, obviously with the sale and Ozzie joining in. He’s been fantastic, and Pete and Heather are great friends and good owners. So there was a lot of pressure going into this, and halfway up the straight it was going all wrong and pear-shaped and I was worried. But, hey, I’ve got a class rider and a class filly. I had complete confidence that she would win today, although there’s a lot of pressure when they’re paying $1.30 in a Group Two.
“I’ve just got so much confidence in the horse. I’ve never had a horse that gives me this much confidence. Everything she does is just so professional. She’s just great.”
Leica Lucy is now the $2.20 favourite for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 22. Patterson said her final lead-up run will be in the Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2000m) at the same venue on March 2.
“She’ll go back to Trentham, where she loves the big, roomy track,” the New Plymouth trainer said. “It’s three weeks from today into the Lowland, and another three weeks into the Oaks. After that, she’ll go across to Chris Waller. I might give Chris a ring and give him a bit of advice! But, no, Chris is going to get a lovely filly and I’m just so rapt for the owners.”
Lightning has struck twice for the Crofskeys, who had another top-class filly 12 years ago with Habibi. That daughter of Ekraar won six of her nine starts including the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) and two Group Two races. She also placed in the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) in Sydney, and later performed at stakes level in the United States under different ownership.
“This is a wonderful day for us,” Heather Crofskey said on Saturday. “It’s the day that we’re realising just how good a horse we have. Robbie has really liked her from the start. He told us she might be the best we’ve ever had.
“We have to acknowledge our new partner in the ownership, Ozzie, who’s joining us on this journey now. We’re off to a great start today and even though he’s not here on course, he’s definitely watching. Now it’s on to the Oaks.”
Leica Lucy has moved up to 20 points in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series and sits in second place behind Alabama Lass (21 points), who is unlikely to take any further part in the series.
By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
