2 weeks Ago By Craig Kerry
Rachel King is confident bargain buy Fernhill Mile winner Spicy Lu has more to give when she backs up into group 1 company for the $1 million Champagne Stakes (1600m) for two-year-olds at Randwick on Saturday. A $30,000 yearling purchase for Queanbeyan trainer Nick Olive, Spicy Lu led all the way in the listed Fernhill on Saturday as part of a stakes double for King, who later rode Arapaho to a three-length victory in the $2 million Sydney Cup. Rachel King riding Spicy Lu to victory in the Fernhill Mile last Saturday at Randwick.
Credit: Getty Images Coming off wins at Cowra and Albury to start her career, Spicy Lu became the first stakes victor for Yulong stallion Tagaloa with her almost two-length success over Tupakara and Lady Pankhurst. She meets that pair again, plus top chances such as Within The Law ($5.50), Baillieu winner Nepotism ($4) and ATC Sires Produce Stakes placegetters State Visit ($6) and Buffalo ($6).
Spicy Lu has been well backed this week, coming in from $17 to $13 with Sportsbet, and King believed she should improve again for the jump in class. “Before last Saturday, she’d had two runs, but she’d never even raced against her own age group,” King said. Rachel King after winning aboard Spicy Lu last Saturday.
Credit: Getty Images “She’d beaten up the older horses a bit her first two runs. She did a good job, so I was confident that she had that bit of toughness about her. “She was pretty green in front on Saturday.
She had a good look around. She’s never led before, so I think having had that run, she’ll be a lot better this Saturday..
