It has been a frustrating start to the season for Hawkes Racing but the training partnership is nothing if not resilient.

After a mixture of bad luck and disappointing performances made for a Missile Stakes day they would prefer to forget, the team suffered another blow last week when valuable colt Sooboog emerged battered and bruised from a race at Gosford when he was passed fit to start despite playing up in the barriers.

Team Hawkes would be entitled to be licking their wounds.

Instead, co-trainer Michael Hawkes has taken the bumpy start in his stride.

“It’s been a bit ordinary but you’ve got to press through those issues,” Hawkes said.

Lake Geneva could be the horse to turn around their fortunes when she steps out in the Silver Shadow Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

Placed in the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper, the filly started a prohibitive favourite when she resumed in a set-weights maiden at Hawkesbury and won accordingly.

The race was part of a considered plan and Tommy Berry, who does the bulk of riding for the Hawkes stable in Sydney, believes the provincial victory will hold Lake Geneva in good stead for the spring.

“It was a very important run for her last start, even though it was a lot weaker grade than what she’s up against on Saturday,” Berry said.

“You can’t doubt her ability, she’s run third in a Blue Diamond and third in a Slipper, but it was good for her to get that confidence booster and she got that, she won very well.”

Hawkes Racing and Berry will also team up with Maastricht in the Toy Show Quality.

A multiple stakes placegetter, Maastricht has done her preparatory work with Wayne Hawkes in Melbourne and will arrive in Sydney on Friday.

“Wayne has been happy with her and it’s a good starting point on Saturday,” Michael Hawkes said.

Messene in the Group Two Warwick Stakes and Himalaya Dream in the Mostyn Copper Group Handicap round out the Hawkes’s Randwick team.

Article from justhorseracing.com.au