Progressive filly Laced Up Heels has scored a stunning upset win in the Listed TABtouch-Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) at Ascot, enhancing her Pinnacles credentials in doing so.
Amended version of an article by Tim Walker originally posted here: https://www.rwwa.com.au/blog/laced-up-heels-bursts-jewels-bubble/
The unbeaten Amelia’s Jewel, who started a $1.45 TABtouch favourite, was widely expected to win the feature for the three-year-old fillies, but the Luke Fernie-trained Laced Up Heels proved too hard to run down.
It was almost over before it began for Laced Up Heels, who was agitated in the starting gates and had to be vetted prior to gates opening.
Once the gates opened, Laced Up Heels, ridden by Chris Parnham, settled directly in front of Amelia’s Jewel and pulled out enough over the closing stages to take out the $125,000 feature.
Amelia’s Jewel wasn’t disgraced in running second by a long neck, while Miss Drakova was back in third.
Vampi At Play, who was expected to be the main danger to Amelia’s Jewel, had no luck and finished in the second half of the field.
Parnham showed plenty of emotion crossing the finish line, taking out the Burgess Queen Stakes for a third straight year.
The leading jockey won the race with Snickerdoodledandy in 2020 and Buzzoom last year.
It was Fernie’s first win in the race and said he was excited the filly showed what he knew she was capable of.
“She has great ability and shows plenty on the track at home and she showed that today,” he said.
“She didn’t have any luck in the three-year-old Classic and I look at her and know there’s a machine there.
“I just needed a little bit of luck to go our way and she got that today.”
Parnham rode Laced Up Heels at her first two starts but missed her last two through suspension and said she was “above average”.
Laced Up Heels was purchased for $100k at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne by Boomer Bloodstock for client Geisel Park.
