Lazzago's Golden Slipper bid a family affair

Jack and Bob Ingham enjoyed a wonderful affinity with the Golden Slipper and the latter’s daughter Debbie Kepitis is hoping the next generation of the famous clan can carry on that tradition.

Kepitis’ Woppitt Bloodstock, named after the first horse she bought herself and very much a family affair, has a stake in two Slipper runners – a small share in Pago Pago Stakes winner Shinzo and outright ownership of Lazzago.

Lazzago is an extra special horse to the family having been selected as a yearling by Kepitis’ daughters, who like their mother have been around racing their entire lives.

“Everybody says you go into racing with dreams, well we’re living the dream and especially for them to have selected a horse, bought the horse at the sale,” Kepitis said.

“A lot of people out there would say ‘look, you’ve got Slippers’. But those Slippers I was lucky enough to be a part of because of my wonderful Dad and Uncle Jack.

“But to actually do it in our own right, a two-year-old race, a race all my daughters as babies came along to. Lara, my middle daughter, she was at the Slipper at six weeks old and Dad won that year.

“To have that turn around and for us to be able to have this beautiful trophy, it would just be the best thing.”

Lazzago won the Sweet Embrace Stakes to earn her spot in Saturday’s $5 million feature and the irony isn’t lost on Kepitis, the lead-up race being named in honour of the Ingham family’s 1967 Golden Slipper winner.

The first to admit she is superstitious, Kepitis hopes it’s a lucky sign.

“The Sweet Embrace, my dad and Jack actually raced the horse Sweet Embrace so to have that be the win that gets her straight into the Slipper, there are so many things aligning,” she said.

The Kepitis tribe was at Rosehill before dawn on Thursday to watch their filly have her final gallop, along with trainer Chris Waller.

Kerrin Mcevoy will ride her on Saturday and Waller, who also has Shinzo and emergency Militarize in the Slipper mix, is upbeat about Lazzago’s chances.

“Talking to Kerrin (McEvoy) during the week, he’s got great confidence in her,” Waller said.

“He said she gives him a great feel and Hugh Bowman was the same when he got off her after winning. He said, ‘gee she just tries for you’.

“She, of the three of mine, is more a two-year-old type. The other two have got three-year-old written all over them, she’s the two-year-old of the three.”