SAN DOMENICO WIN ENDS RECENT DOMINATION OF RACE BY FILLIES

SHELLSCRAPE ended a domination of the G3 San Domenico Stakes by fillies with a strong win in the $125,000 three-year-old featurec, which capped a terrific day at Randwick on Saturday for trainer Chris Waller.

Shellscrape carrying the steadier of 56kg came off a freshen after his win in the Listed Australia Post Stakes at Eagle Farm during the Queensland Winter Carnival and had the steadier of 56kg

Brought with a well-timed burst by jockey Hugh Bowman, Shellscrape, $7.50, proved too strong for the Queenslanders, Sniplaz, $26 and Kiss Me Katy, the $4.40 favorite.

The win was the most important and the third of the day for the Waller stable after Voice Coach and Altered Boy had saluted earlier. “We picked this race out and set him for it and we are very proud to win it,” Waller said.

“He did a great job as a two-year-old and he looked so good after he won in Brisbane that we just gave him a short break up there. The owners let me keep him in work so he spent a week in his box and then was back into it again.”

Waller said Shellscrape would contest the $125,000 G3 Up And Coming Stakes, 1200m, at Randwick on August 22. If he won that race connections would consider paying a late fee to contest the $1 million Golden Rose at Rosehill a week later.

Trainer David Payne blasted the track after heavily-backed Winter King, $4.80, finished ninth. “You can't blame the horse,” Payne told stewards. “It's the surface, it's a joke. It’s a bog. You have to be three or four wide or you can’t win.”

Trainer Steven O'Dea was happy with Kiss Me Katy's third at her first Sydney start but feels she will be better over further, possibly up to 1400m

The San Domenico field covered the 1000m 58.13 with the last 600 run in 35.13 seconds.

Of the beaten brigade the best run was that of PURDEY, which finished fourth. “He got run off his legs early but finished the race off great,” jockey Jay Ford said.

FOUR FAVORITES were successful on the eight-race card at RANDWICK on SATURDAY but the blowout for quadrella punters occurred in the second last when $41 chance IMADESERT ended the hopes of most.