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Chris Waller‘s outstanding filly Lady Shenandoah kept the Group 1 wins coming with a narrow victory ahead of stablemate Firestorm in an exciting Coolmore Classic 2025 result at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The bonny daughter of Snitzel made it five on the trot when given a gun ride by ace hoop James McDonald to claim this year’s Group 1 $1 million Coolmore Classic (1500m) against the older mares despite sweating up pre-race on a hot day at the Sydney races.

“Pre-race it wasn’t perfect, it’s a warm Rosehill day, and she had a good sweat which scared me a little, but it was a great ride from that draw to get into the spot that he did and that certainly saved a bit of petrol for late,” Waller told Sky Thoroughbred Central after winning the Coolmore Classic for the third straight year.

Coming off a lead-up Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) win against her own age to add to the spring’s Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) trophy she secured over the Randwick mile, she enjoyed a third career Group 1 in the Coolmore to draw comparisons to Waller’s heroic four-time Cox Plate winner Winx.

“The good fillies that we have had just kept getting better and better and better,” he explained.

“She’s already there. So, our job is to try and get her to that next level again – repeat success at Group One level.

“It’s not going to be easy for her and some of those great horses that we have had have been later maturers so I don’t like to compare – but Winx wasn’t doing this at this age.”

Lady Shenandoah ($2.60F) got a lovely cart into the finishing straight when travelling sweetly round the turn for home just off the leading pack.

Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott‘s Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot ($5), coming off back-to-back seconds to Lady Shenandoah in the Light Fingers and Surround Stakes, hit the front 300m out from the line.

It wasn’t long before J-Mac hit the button on the fast-finishing favourite however with Lady Shenandoah moving into top gear at the 200m before cruising up to take over in the lead inside the final furlong.

Lady Of Camelot never gave in fighting all the way to the line but was pipped on the post and forced into third as second place went to Waller’s late flying Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes winning four-year-old Firestorm ($14) who came from right back to flash home behind her younger stablemate in a thriller.

“She’s pretty good,” McDonald said of this year’s Coolmore Classic winning filly.

“She’s doing the right things anyway. She wasn’t entitled to win, she was all out at the 100m, and she was worked up prior to the start which was a bit of a concern.

“Just whether that was her home track. But we were able to take a couple of minutes where she took a breath around at the start.

“She began well and fitted in and showed her quality fighting spirit.

“I think that she is a fast filly and as she gets older and starts filling out into her frame.

“I think that she will come back in trip and be even faster.”

Waller said that while another run during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival was unlikely for Lady Shenandoah at this stage, the option was there should the connections want to give her another go before a pre-spring spell.

“I do tend to change my mind a little bit as I’m getting older,” Waller said.

“I would say it is highly unlikely, but I will speak to the owners – with due respect to them of course – and work out what she needs to do to be right in the spring.”

The bookies are taking no chances and have the filly at single figures in pre-field markets on the upcoming Group 1 $4 million Doncaster Mile (1600m) on April 5 and the Group 1 $1 million Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) the following weekend both of which Lady Shenandoah is now exempt from ballot in.

2025 Coolmore Classic Results

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