The Gai Waterhouse stable grabbed an early double at Canterbury today when two-year-old filly Valerio took out the Vinery Stud Handicap (1100m) by the barest of margins on debut.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Ridden by stable jockey Nash Rawiller, the daughter of Strategic jumped well and took a sit behind early leader Gold Bender with My Shabella and Nuns On The Run also up there early.
Traveling wide for a majority of the way Kristy Lee, wearing the famous Ingham Cerise silks joined Gold Bender on the turn with Valerio going backwards and seemingly getting lost.
Kristy Lee hit the lead and looked the winner at the 300m mark before Valerio, who was running off the track ran on strongly to grab the Chris Waller-trained runner with just 0.1L between them, and My Shabella not far away in third.
"I can't wait until the blinkers go on it will make my job a lot easier,” Rawiller said.
"She got really lost midrace, she was racing awkward between horses and she again got lost on the home turn.
"She did a good job in the end I thought to pick up and win.”
Waterhouse took out both two-year-old races on the program with Rampaging claiming the race prior after she did a similar job on Saturday with Driefontein and Raceway at Warwick Farm.
Waterhouse now has 11 individual two-year-old winners for the season and will saddle up No Looking Back in this Saturday's Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.
