Ellicazoom has laid down the gauntlet to Perth’s best 3yo fillies with a blistering finish in the LR Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) at Ascot.
The daughter of Testa Rossa produced an astounding burst to win running away from Caipirinha on Tuesday. The runner-up was coming off a LR Belgravia Stakes victory and looked home with a three-length break at the furlong.
Ellicazoom is the 59th stakes winner by Vinery sire Testa Rossa and trainer Neville Parnham will target the G3 Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) on Saturday week, November 12.
“She’s a quality filly and I was as confident as you could be with about 8 chances,” Parnham admitted. “She put herself into the race on the turn and will run out a mile easily in the Champion Fillies.
“It’s a great result for Santo (Guagliardo). That’s three winners this afternoon and he deserves it because he tips in a lot of money.”
Guagliardo had won with I Am Incredible (I Am Invincible) and Rotana Beach (Northern Meteor) earlier in the day at Ascot. He paid $180,000 for Ellicazoom when she was offered by Attunga Stud at the 2015 Gold Coast Magic Millions.
Her dam Ellicorsam (Fimiston) was a Group 2 winner of the Winterbottom Stakes and Lee-Steere Stakes in Perth before transferring to Lee Freedman for a Group 1 victory in the Swettenham Stud Stakes at Morphettville.
Ellicazoom had finished fifth to Whispering Brook in the G3 Gimcrack Stakes during a short juvenile campaign earlier this year and resumed with a convincing maiden victory at Ascot on October 19.
“She got the job done first-up and had been working well,” jockey Steven Parnham said. “We had a lovely run and she let down really good. She’s a progressive filly heading towards the Champion Fillies. She could also go to the (G2) WA Guineas a week later.”
Testa Rossa stands for a $16,500 (inc gst) service fee while maintaining a sky-high 73% winning strike-rate at Vinery Stud.
