Sydney horseman Ron Quinton is hoping the good form of his progressive mare Dixie Blossoms continues this spring with the Golden Pendant 2016 her likely next-up target.
Ron Quinton’s ill-fated Coolmore Classic winner Peeping. Photo: Steve Hart.
The four-year-old daughter of Street Sense was last seen running a brave first-up second to Pearls when beaten only a long-neck in the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1300m) at Royal Randwick a fortnight ago.
That was her third second place finish on the trot following back-to-back Sydney placings back in the autumn including behind Single Gaze in the Group 3 Keith Nolan Stakes (1600m) at Kembla Grange.
Quinton is hoping his smart contingent of improving mares can step up to the plate this season after the loss of his Coolmore Classic winner Peeping to a bout of colic in May.
Peeping won the $400,000 Group 2 Golden Pendant (1400m) last Sydney Spring Racing Carnival and Quinton is hoping for back-to-back victories in the Rosehill Gardens showdown this season with Dixie Blossoms on track for the September 24 event.
“She appears as though she’s going to need further ground but the mares’ races are limited at this time of year,” Quinton told Racenet.
“I’m a bit worried about 1400 [metres] in the Golden Pendant being too short but I’m still looking at it as it’s a Group II for mares and their like hen’s teeth.
“So I’ve probably got to try and keep her fresh for that sort of race but she could end up over 2000 at some stage.”
Quinton is also hoping to see more from his four-year-old daughter of Domesday Daysee Doom, the undefeated four-year-old yet to race in Black-Type company.
She is only lightly-raced but has won all three of her career starts to date, the latest over 1100m at Rosehill on May 7 in a fillies-and-mares’ Benchmark 78.
Daysee Doom trialled nicely on August 19 at Randwick over 735m when runner-up to Global Glamour, impressing Quinton with the hit-out.
“She trialled very nicely,” he said.
“Not many do it, what she’s done [winning her opening three starts].
“I’ve got an 1100 metre benchmark race at Canterbury in mind for her to start off and if she wins that well then she’s probably earned a crack at stakes level.
“They’re totally different horses but hey can both gallop – no doubt about that.
“I think Dixie Blossoms has probably got more scope whereas the other filly might be limited to a certain distance.”
This weekend at Royal Randwick on Chelmsford Stakes Day Quinton has nominated his Dubawi six-year-old Boss Lane for a run in the $125,000 Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m).
The galloper raced on August 20 when fifth in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) behind Tycoon Tara and has a two-from-four winning strike rate over the shorter distance of the Concorde.
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