Mixed bag for Waterhouse at Canterbury

Wednesday 14 May 2014, 4:49pm

A midweek race at Canterbury was over before it began for one Gai Waterhouse-trained runner, but for another it provided an important breakthrough victory.

In a race which offered a mixed bag for the Randwick trainer, Waterhouse watched on in disappointment as Koizora played up in the starting stalls and was a late scratching from the Drummond Golf Plate (1250m).

But just over a minute later she was celebrating a win by her remaining runner Festivity whose victory earned the filly consideration for a winter carnival trip to Brisbane.

"She (Festivity) is a very exciting filly. She's by Nicconi and she had been nominated for a number of races and kept getting balloted out so it was really nice today when she was able to breakthrough," Waterhouse said.

"She's got a very bright future."

Festivity showed Waterhouse enough as a spring two-year-old to earn a start in the Gimcrack Stakes.

The filly finished down the track and was sent for a spell but she showed the benefit of her time in the paddock with her first-up win.

"She had shown enough precocity to run in the Gimcrack but she was just immature at the time," Waterhouse said.

Ridden by Jim Cassidy, Festivity reeled in leader Berimbau to score by two lengths with Berry Delicious another length away third.

Waterhouse will weigh up her options for Festivity and is leaning towards stepping her up to Saturday grade in Sydney ahead of a possible trip to Brisbane.

Darley filly Terai could also head north after powering home over her rivals to win Wednesday's Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1900m).

The three-year-old gave John O'Shea his first Sydney winner since taking over from Peter Snowden as head trainer of Sheikh Mohammed's operation earlier this month.

O'Shea was not at Canterbury but Darley bloodstock manager Jason Walsh confirmed the filly was being seriously considered for a Queensland Oaks bid.

Winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy said Terai wouldn't be out of place in the fillies feature.

"It might be worth rolling the dice," McEvoy said.

"She's in good form and it would be the last black-type she races in as a three-year-old."

– AAP

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