While all the hype leading up to Saturday’s Morphetville meeting is about superstar Black Caviar, there is plenty of other quality racing on the Adelaide card this weekend including the 2012 Queen Of The South Stakes.
Run over 1600 metres, the Group 2 event will see a decent field of fillies and mares line up to compete for a share of $175,000.
Seventeen horses have been nominated for the race that gives a number of promising females the chance to step up and claim a first ever victory at Group level.
One of those horses is Zubbaya, who has five wins from 15 starts but is yet to succeed in three efforts when stepping up to Group level racing.
The four-year-old has shown promise so far in 2012, winning the Echuca Cup at the beginning of March before finishing mid-field in the Group 2 Sunline Stakes and the Listed Anniversary Vase.
Matthew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained mare Booklet finished runner-up in October’s Group 2 Blazer Stakes and has also signalled potential with place finishes in two of three starts this year.
She ran third to Raspberries in the Group 3 PFD Food Services Stakes earlier this year and was most recently seen finishing third in the Muscular Dystrophy Australia Plate at Flemington.
Arena mare Little House faces a step up in her first ever race at Group level this Saturday bu the four-year-old has a record that suggests she is ready to do so.
Since debuting in the Coopers Clear Plate at Gawler last July, the Adelaide based horse has scored five wins from six starts with her most recent coming on April 14 in the Projection Graphics Handicap at Morphetville.
First lady of racing Gai Waterhouse has entered last-start winner Upon This Rock while fellow leading trainer Peter Moody also has an entry with six-year-old So Pristine.
The Queen Of The South Stakes is one of five Group races at Morphetville this weekend with the main highlights Black Caviar’s return in the Robert Sangster Stakes and the Australasian Oaks.
Queen Of The South Stakes 2012 – Nominations
– | Horse | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
---|---|---|---|
1 | BLUE RIBBON | Colin Little | 76 |
2 | BOOKLET | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | 92 |
3 | BOWERBIRD | Kylie Huxtable | 81 |
4 | COUSTELLET | Phillip Stokes | 63 |
5 | ELSEWHERE | Ken Sweeney | 61 |
6 | EPINGLE (NZ) | Michael Kent | 72 |
7 | GAIL | Robbie Griffiths | 80 |
8 | INAURA | Dan O’Sullivan | 64 |
9 | LITTLE HOUSE | Mark Minervini | 86 |
10 | SEDUCED | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | 82 |
11 | SENSATIONAL REPORT | Dianne Wynne | 81 |
12 | SHARNEE ROSE | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | 78 |
13 | SO PRISTINE | Peter G Moody | 85 |
14 | TERPSICHORE | Andrew Noblet | 72 |
15 | TUREEN | Barry Brook | 61 |
16 | UPON THIS ROCK | Gai Waterhouse | 83 |
17 | ZUBBAYA | Anthony Freedman | 92 |