Leica Lucy takes her place among Empire Rose quartet for Waller
Richard Edmunds - Raceform • October 31st, 2025 12:00 PM • 4 min read
Chris Waller has a proud record with New Zealand imports in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes, and Leica Lucy could continue that trend in the fillies and mares’ feature at Flemington on Saturday.
The expat Kiwi trainer has celebrated three wins in the Empire Rose, including with the Savabeel mares Shillelagh in 2018 and Atishu last year.
Waller will saddle three runners in the 2025 edition on Saturday, with Leica Lucy lining up alongside Fangirl, Lazzura and Firestorm.
Leica Lucy is a daughter of Grangewilliam Stud stallion Derryn and was bred by Taranaki couple Heather and Peter Crofskey, who initially sent her to the New Plymouth stable of Robbie Patterson.
The Crofskeys raced Leica Lucy through a superb seven-race campaign in New Zealand last season, joined in the ownership midway through by Australia’s Ozzie Kheir. Leica Lucy won the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes, Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes, Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic, Gr.2 Lowland Stakes and Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks in successive starts, scoring a runaway victory in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series.
Leica Lucy was then sent across the Tasman to join Waller’s stable, and she signed off her three-year-old season with a fourth placing in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks at Randwick.
In her first two starts as a four-year-old, Leica Lucy has produced eye-catching runs from the back of the field to finish fourth in the Gr.2 Let’s Elope Stakes and third in the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap.
“She’s been running good races,” Waller told Racing.com on Tuesday. “Slight gear change for her this week, so she’ll have the one-eyed blinker on. She had that on this morning and came up the (Flemington) straight really well.”
On Wednesday morning, the TAB rated Leica Lucy a $6 third favourite in a market headed by her stablemate Fangirl ($4). Waller’s other runners Lazzura and Firestorm were at $9 and $31 respectively.
Fangirl boasts 10 wins and more than A$10 million in stakes from a 36-race career. Her seven-year-old spring campaign has so far produced a win in the 7 Stakes at Randwick, a fourth in the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes and a last-start sixth in the Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes.
“Fangirl would be the top seed just on class alone and what she's done throughout her career,” Waller said. “She's in the twilight of it now, but James McDonald was aboard this morning, he said she's bright and happy and was having a good look around up the straight. He said she's ready to turn it on this Saturday.”
Lazzura won the Let’s Elope at Flemington two starts ago, then was beaten by three lengths when fifth in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield.
“I think Lazzura will appreciate getting back to Flemington,” Waller said. “Flemington’s a more forgiving surface. It’s in pristine condition this morning and I’m looking forward to getting her back here on Saturday.”
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