The horse that rocketed low-key Queanbeyan trainer Neville Layt into the big time, Kartua Queen put her awesome ability on display at Canberra’s Thoroughbred Park on Tuesday blitzing her barrier trial by 17.5 lengths ahead of her 2012 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival return.
Karuta Queen is set to resume racing in the 2012 Light Fingers Stakes next month
The speedy Not A Single Doubt filly, purchased for a modest $30,000 at the 2010 Magic Millions Yearling Sales on the Gold Coast, has already netted close to $1.8 million in career prize money thanks to wins in races including last year’s $2 million Magic Millions Classic, the Listed Heritage Stakes (1000m) at Rosehill last September and the Group 3 1300 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in October.
Last seen finishing a brave second after a long prep behind an up-and-comer from the Michael Moroney stables African Pulse in the Schweppes Tonic (1000m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, Kartua Queen showed she was ready to get back to the track with her sensational trial win.
In a clean-cut display of speed, Karuta Queen effortlessly annihilated her rivals by a huge margin over 900 metres, posting an overall time of 50.65 seconds with her final 600m done in a sharp 33.33.
With track jockey Adrian Layt in the mount, Karuta Queen showed she had improved and come through her latest break in fine order.
She beat her previous best 900m trial time at Canberra from February 27 last year when she ran 51.37 to put 13.5 lengths on her rivals before finishing second in a shock first-up defeat to You’re Canny in the Listed Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at the course on March 13.
Karuta Queen is expected to trial once more before kicking off her Sydney Autumn Carnival crusade in the $175,000 Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm on February 18.
The 2012 Light Fingers Stakes is shaping up as a top-class showdown between some of the season’s best three-year-old fillies with other likely runners including Guy Walter’s Group 1 Flight Stakes winner over the Randwick mile Streama, the Dan Morton-trained Perth filly Bliss Street and John O’Shea’s progressive daughter of Fastnet Rock Sea Siren.
Get all the hottest autumn racing odds and betting options by opening an account with Australia’s No. 1 online bookmaker Luxbet now and enjoy a bonus $400 bet when you deposit and quote the code BONUSBET!
