Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Star reinsman Shannon Suvaljko lavished praise on brilliant two-year-old filly Water Lou when assessing her prospects in the $29,400 Direct Trades Supply Gold Bracelet at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Suvaljko is excited at the prospect of resuming as the filly’s driver after he opted to drive her stablemate Lion Queen in the $100,000 Sales Classic four weeks ago. Gary Hall Jnr was engaged to drive Water Lou. But Suvaljko was left without a drive after Lion Queen cut her leg in a paddock on the morning of the big race.
Water Lou started out wide at barrier eight and raced three wide for the first 400m before bursting to the front and then setting the pace to win comfortably from Xceptional Arma and Remarkable Rock.
“Water Lou is a really nice filly and is unbeaten after four starts,” said Suvaljko. “She is foolproof, has great gate speed and has a great quarter in her. The rise in distance to 2130m won’t bother her; she relaxes in her races.”
Water Lou is prepared by Stephen Reed, who had the distinction of having a trifecta result in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park on Tuesday afternoon when Suvaljko set the pace with the $2.70 favourite Yourshoutrocky and defeated stablemates Montana Glory ($26) and Dardy Boy ($9). Water Lou looks set to lead and should prove too speedy for her rivals, including the Colin Brown-trained and driven Xceptional Arma.
Suvaljko and Reed also have bright prospects with the New Zealand-bred seven-year-old Gran Chico, who will start from barrier two on the back line in the 2130m DTS 123 Kelvin Road Maddington Pace. Gran Chico caught the eye last Friday night when he raced three back on the pegs in fifth place before finishing strongly to be third behind James Butt and Master Yossi in a fast-run 1730m event.
“This is a big drop in grade and is a winnable race, providing we have reasonable luck,” said Suvaljko. Gran Chico’s toughest opponent is likely to be the polemarker, the ten-year-old Disco Under Fire, who will be having his 182ND start in a race. Disco Under Fire, trained by Giles Inwood and to be driven by Chris Voak, is a smart frontrunner.