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2018 Coolmore Classic Calls for Guy Walter Winner Dixie Blossoms
Sydney’s Ron Quinton has another chance in the Coolmore Classic 2018 this month with Dixie Blossoms to join stablemate Daysee Doom in the Group on the back of a first-up victory in the Group 2 $200,000 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m).
Dual Guy Walter Stakes winner Dixie Blossoms is onto the Coolmore Classic 2018 at Rosehill. Photo: Steve Hart.
Last weekend Quinton’s Domesday five-year-old Daysee Doom made a successful autumn return in the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill.
Seven days later and Quinton was back in the winners’ stall this time at Royal Randwick on Chipping Norton Stakes Day with his five-year-old Street Sense mare Dixie Blossoms also saluting fresh.
Having her first run since a third in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington last VRC Derby Day, Dixie Blossoms added to her nice first-up record going back-to-back in the Guy Walter Stakes for the first time since Steps In Time (2012-13).
The Myer Classic form was further franked earlier in the day with the winner of that Shoals saluting in the country’s newest Group 1 race, scoring an upset in Sydney’s $500,000 Surround Stakes (1400m).
On the back of a winning Randwick trial over subsequent Oakleigh Plate winner Russian Revolution, Dixie Blossoms posted her first victory since defeating the fellow Quinton-trained Daysee Doom in the Group 3 Angst Stakes (1600m) last October.
Jockey Christian Reith picked up the Guy Walter Stakes ride on the $2.60 favourite and had her switched off at the back of the field.
The Kiwi-trained mare Francaletta did all the work early in her Australian race debut, moving up swiftly around the outside to press forward and take the lead from Zanbagh who had run second in the race the past two years.
Danish Twist meanwhile was settled up on the speed in third three wide before also going up to challenge for the front position approaching the turn where the field really bunched up.
Dixie Blossoms meanwhile was still last around the bend, but once she got clear running on the straight quickly made up ground.
She got going displaying her explosive turn of foot late, moving into overdrive 150m out and flying home to defeat the Godolphin-raced Raiment ($7) by three-quarters of a length.
“I always had a horse underneath me, I was never concerned,” Reith said.
“Ron was so upbeat during the week telling me how good she’s going, it just gave me more confidence.
“It was an absolute pleasure to be chosen by the owners to ride this great mare around.
“She’s in great order. Ron’s got her absolutely peaking and it was an honour to be able to ride her.”
In a tight finish for third it was Francaletta ($4) rounding out the Guy Walter Stakes trifecta just ahead of the underrated roughie in the race Nettoyer ($71) who was racing well outside of her grade.
“Very relieved,” Quinton said post-win.
“We thought we had her in great order. She was in a little bit of an awkward sort of position and she got the job done, that’s the main thing.
“You win when you can and you’re relieved when you do!”
Quinton’s two gun mares are set to meet again next-up on March 17 at Rosehill Gardens in the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m).
Daysee Doom will be out to become the third Coolmore Classic winner in four years to come off a run in the Millie Fox Stakes, while Dixie Blossoms will be the first out of the Guy Walter since Peeping (3rd in 2016) if successful.
The Guy Walter Stakes winner was disappointing in the Group 1 last Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival crossing 13th behind the winner Heavens Above, while Daysee Doom finished a far better fourth.
“It’s going to be one of the best Coolmores you’ve ever seen I’d say,” Quinton commented.
“They both go straight to the Coolmore now and we’ll see what happens.”
To bet behind the Quinton-trained mares in the Coolmore Classic 2018 at the best price visit Ladbrokes.com.au.
2018 Guy Walter Stakes Results & Finishing Order
Randwick Race 8 – 03/03/2018
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | DIXIE BLOSSOMS | Ron Quinton | Christian Reith | – | 7 | 56kg | $2.60F |
| 2 | 5 | RAIMENT | James Cummings | Tye Angland | 0.8L | 4 | 55.5kg | $7 |
| 3 | 8 | FRANCALETTA | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Kerrin McEvoy | 2.1L | 9 | 55kg | $4 |
| 4 | 11 | NETTOYER | Wendy Roche | Ms Rachel King (a) | 2.2L | 6 | 54kg | $71 |
| 5 | 6 | ECKSTEIN | Kurt Goldman | Brenton Avdulla | 2.8L | 3 | 55kg | $7 |
| 6 | 10 | SLIGHTLY SWEET | Jason Coyle | Ms Jess Taylor | 2.9L | 8 | 54kg | $41 |
| 7 | 2 | AIDE MEMOIRE (NZ) | Kris Lees | Jason Collett | 3L | 2 | 58kg | $41 |
| 8 | 3 | ZANBAGH | John P Thompson | Hugh Bowman | 5.8L | 1 | 57kg | $21 |
| 9 | 7 | DANISH TWIST | Kris Lees | Glyn Schofield | 7.7L | 5 | 55kg | $10 |
| – | 1 | EGG TART | Chris Waller | Glen Boss | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 9 | FARAWAY TOWN | Matthew Smith | Tim Clark | – | 0 | – | – |
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