by Ken Casellas
Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice described Tenniele Erin’s performance when beaten into second place by Lady de la Renta on Tuesday of last week as massive and he is confident that his youngster can turn the tables on Lady de la Renta when they clash in the $95,000 Clipsal By Schneider Electric WA Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
A thrilling showdown between the classy fillies looms after they drew favourably in the 1730m classic.
Lady de la Renta, trained at Banjup by Annie Belton and to be handled by Kim Prentice, will start from the No. 2 barrier on the front line, with Tenniele Erin on her outside at No. 3 and with Chris Lewis in the sulky.
Tenniele Erin was favourite at 5/2 on when she started from barrier four in a 1730m event on Tuesday of last week. Lady de la Renta was a 6/1 chance from barrier five.
Tenniele Erin began speedily and was trapped three wide for the first 300m before she surged into the lead after 420m. Lady de la Renta was not bustled out at the start and settled down in seventh position. She was sixth with 500m to travel and impressed with her acceleration when she burst to the front on the home turn and won by just over two lengths from Tenniele Erin.
“Tenniele Erin went massive in that race,” Justin Prentice said. “The first quarter was run in 27.5sec. and there’s not too many two-year-olds capable of finishing off the race the way she did after that very fast first section. She has done well since.”
The Belton camp also has every reason to feel confident about winning with Lady de la Renta on Friday night. She sprinted strongly with a final quarter of 28.6sec. and won in most convincing fashion.
There were excuses for her fifth placing behind Cott Beach at Pinjarra at her only other start. She raced roughly soon after the start and broke into a gallop before racing five back on the pegs and finishing solidly.
Lady de la Renta is well bred, being by American stallion Well Said and out of Flylika Bird Lombo, a winner of seven races in Victoria and a half-sister to ten winners, including Lombo Skyrider, who amassed $841,611 from 63 wins and 84 placings from 321 starts.
Lady de la Renta is also closely related to former star mare Misty Maiden (37 starts for 12 wins, 11 placings and stakes of $245,449) who produced nine winners, including Lombo Pocket Watch, who earned $1,522,638 from 45 wins and 17 placings from 83 starts.
Tenniele Erin, by American stallion Sportswriter, is the fourth foal, and the first one to race, out of Lilianna Beauty, who had 134 starts in America for ten wins, 41 placings and $135,274.
Princess Major, to be driven by Gary Hall jun. for Byford trainer Katja Warwick, has sound each-way prospects from the inside of the back line. She has been placed at each of her three starts, including her last-start third behind Lady de la Renta when she worked hard in the breeze for most of the way.
Cool Sassi, an easy all-the-way debut winner at a 2.1.9 rate over 1730m on Tuesday of last week for trainer-reinsman Aldo Cortopassi, faces a stern task after drawing out wide at barrier eight.
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