Lagunanini, under the guidance of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, pursues an unusual milestone at Caulfield.
She intends to mirror her brother McGaw by capturing the $1 million The Showdown (1200m) on Saturday.
In common, McGaw and Lagunanini had maiden successes entering The Showdown – his from Pakenham, hers from Sale – but their resemblances diverge after shared ancestry.
The Brownes, Emma-Lee and David, got McGaw for $14,000, while Busuttin and Young invested $160,000 in Lagunanini.
The steep price, more than 10-fold the Brownes’ spend, appears judicious now that McGaw is a Group 2 champion, lifting Lagunanini’s future broodmare worth.
“He was very athletic and raw whereas she was solid and looked like a real runner,” Young said.
“We loved her the first time we saw her. She’s got a great body on her, and she’s done nothing wrong since coming into the barn.
“We gave her that first prep and then tipped her out and gave her a bit of a long break.
“The penny has dropped this time and she’s handling the pressure.”
Caulfield on Saturday presents the test, with Young trusting the filly’s poise to aid her progress.
“It will be a big day, different atmosphere, but I think she will handle it, no problem,” Young said.
“We can’t question her professionalism. Beau (Mertens) knows her, he won on her, and she’s usually very sensible at the races and trials beforehand.
“She doesn’t get too worked up, but it is a two-year-old race, and you never know what can happen.”
Plans for a Tuesday gallop at Caulfield were shelved in favour of wrapping up at Cranbourne.
Lagunanini holds her spot in Rosehill’s Golden Slipper next Saturday week, is accepted for the Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Saturday, and nominated to ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick April 4 plus Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) next.
“We put her in up in Sydney as well, just in case we drew wide, as we just wanted another option, but we’ll head to Caulfield after getting the ace draw,” Young said.
“There’s Stakes races coming up interstate that may suit her, but we’ll get through Saturday first and see where we go.”
Betting fans can check online bookmakers for The Showdown opportunities featuring Lagunanini.
