Leica Lucy looking to end NZ chapter with Group 1 success

[Wandering Eyes]

Leica Lucy will contest Saturday’s $1 million Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Robbie Patterson couldn’t have wished for a smoother preparation with Leica Lucy into Saturday’s Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham, where the filly will make her Kiwi swansong as hot favourite in the $1 million feature.

Leica Lucy made light work of her rivals on debut back in November, and from that point forward, she has been dominant.

Along the way, the daughter of Derryn has won the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m), Group 3 New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m), and Group 2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) and her three-length demolition in the Group 2 Lowland Stakes (2100m).

Patterson shared plenty of admiration for his young star, who secured her status as NZB Filly of the Year with an unassailable lead over sprinter Alabama Lass.

“She’s leap-frogged from a maiden race, into a three-year-old race and she’s been in Group races ever since,” he said. “She’s just taken every step in her stride, it’s been unbelievable really and for nothing to go wrong.

“We knew we had a good horse, but you don’t expect everything to go right all the time and it just has. It’s been an incredible climb, you don’t usually get that with a horse but she’s just one out of the box.

“I’m just counting down for the next four days to the race really.”

Since her Lowland romp, it has been business as usual for Leica Lucy back in New Plymouth, as she attempts to become Patterson’s second Oaks winner after Legs’ triumph in 2006, while training in partnership with Kevin Gray.

“We’ve done pretty much the same thing as she has done between all of her races, I’ve just given her an extra gallop than she did leading into the Lowland,” Patterson said.

“She had a good hit-out this morning but she’s come off the track bouncing, she’s a very happy horse and I couldn’t be happier with her.”

Starting at $1.40, $1.30 and $1.10 with horse racing betting sites in her last three appearances, the pressure and expectation to win has been a constant for Patterson, a factor he won’t miss when Leica Lucy heads to Chris Waller’s stable in Sydney after the Oaks.

“It will take the pressure off me I will admit, when you’ve got a $1.30 shot going around in a Group One,” he said.

“I am looking forward to seeing her go to Australia to tell the truth, it’s where she belongs and I can’t be there all the time with just one horse. It’s fantastic for the owners Pete and Heather Crofskey here in New Zealand, it’s great for them to have a good horse racing over there.

“We’ve got a great association with Ozzie Kheir (part-owner) as well now, he’s been fantastic to deal with and if she can go there and do well, you never know, he may want another one off us another time.”

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