It was this time last year that Lady Laguna cemented herself as a Group 1-quality mare, backing up her Group 1 Canterbury Stakes victory with a strong 2nd in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes, which will be run this Saturday.
Lady Laguna wins the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes in 2024.
Fast forward 12 months and we’ll see Lady Laguna kicking off her autumn campaign in the 1100m Group 1 The Galaxy. The mare faces a tough task after being allocated 57kgs, and given she’s not a renowned performer first up, one would think this run lays a nice platform for her to get out to 1200m-1400m with more favourable weight scales.
On paper, her spring campaign didn’t quite reach the heights expected although an early virus interruption certainly didn’t help. She was still able to reel off good sectionals when 6th in the $2m Group 3 Sydney Stakes, before finishing 3rd in the $3m Russell Balding Stakes behind two high-class mares that were at the peak of their powers. Whilst Flemington and Ascot didn’t go according to plan, trainers Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald are confident we’ll see the best of her the Sydney way of going.
Now, having enjoyed a smooth preparation to date with two trials away from home and a strong piece of work on raceday at the Randwick Kensington track last week, she’s ready to get her campaign underway with the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (April 5) and Group 1 All Aged Stakes (April 19) providing her with an opportunity to further enhance her profile.
To view the full field and details of Saturday’s Group 1 event, click here.
We wish connections all the very best of luck for Saturday and beyond.