Things starting to click for Jami Lady
Considering her winless race record in stakes in 2018 and early 2019, Jami Lady has made quite a turnaround in the last few months in the Australian winter.
Jami Lady won her first stakes in the Bright Shadow Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs at Eagle Farm on July 4, leading throughout to win by about 2 1/4 lengths at 5-1.
The win has led to a start in the $87,250 Gai Waterhouse Classic for fillies and mares at 6 3/4 furlongs at Ipswich Racecourse on Saturday, near Brisbane. A 4-year-old filly, Jami Lady is expected to be modest favorite in a field of 16.
Jami Lady, trained by Steven O’Dea, will start from post 2 and will be ridden by regular rider Boris Thornton. While Thornton had Jami Lady on the lead in the Bright Shadow, the filly has won from off the pace in the past, a strategy that could be vital from an inside post in a large field.
Jami Lady, a winner of 7 of 19 career starts, closed from fourth to win a five-furlong handicap at Eagle Farm on June 6 in her first start since January. Under the handicap condition of the Waterhouse Classic, Jami Lady will carry 126.7 pounds, less than topweight Jamaican Rain at 131 pounds.
Jamaican Rain, who has won 8 of 20 starts, won the Group 3 Summoned Stakes at Sandown Racecourse in November for her third career stakes win. She was 10th of 12 in the Bright Shadow in her only subsequent start.
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The Waterhouse is the second of two listed stakes on the Ipswich program, which begins at 9:48 p.m. Eastern, or 6:40 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
The $59,330 Eye Liner Stakes at six furlongs will be the stakes debut for Mr Bellagio, who is on a career-best three-race winning streak compiled in handicaps at 6 3-4 furlongs and seven furlongs in April and May.
Mr Bellagio was 4-1 in early betting on Thursday, the second choice behind Boomsara, a 4-year-old gelding who was fourth in the listed Ramornie Handicap at six furlongs at Grafton Racecourse on July 8, beaten about 1 3-4 lengths. Boomsara was 3-1.
A gelding, Boomsara won consecutive stakes in the Australian summer in December 2018 and January 2019.
The Eye Liner Stakes will have a field of 14, including Pennino, who was third in the Bright Shadow Stakes. Pennino, a 4-yar-old filly, was entered in the Waterhouse Classic, but was withdrawn in favor of the Eye Liner Stakes.