The best race running this Saturday January 29^th will take place at Queensland’s Doomben Racecourse when a top field of female runners contest the $100,000 Nudgee Fillies & Mares Quality Handicap (1200m).

Sixteen fillies and mares have been accepted for the 2011 Nudgee Fillies & Mares Handicap field lead by 58kg top-weight Funtantes drawn in barrier three.

The Robert Heathcote-trained Easy Rocking mare is looking to break her losing streak of 14 races, Funtantes not having won since she took out the Group 2 Champagne Classic (1200m) at Doomben back in May of 2009.

Heathcote will also be represented on Saturday by six-year-old Acquired, first-up since running a gallant third to Beyonce’s Star in the Listed Just Now Quality (1300m) at Eagle Farm on December 11.

The three last-start winners and early favourites in this year’s Nudgee Quality Handicap have all drawn poorly with Sunshine Coast-based mare Bevagna (barrier 15), local Shovhog four-year-old Startling Pleasure (barrier 14) and consistent Sequalo mare Cariad (barrier 12), opening the field up.

Other notable horses in this season’s Nudgee Fillies & Mares Handicap include the Gillian Heinrich-trained Chilly Ruler who is coming off a disappointing 10^th in the Magic Millions Sprint but who will appreciate the drop back in class here and Chris Waller’s Choisir five-year-old Miss Independent drawn ideally in barrier one.

The 2011 Sky Racing Nudgee Quality is scheduled as Doomben Race 6 on Saturday, due to jump at 4:40pm (AEDST).

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2011 Nudgee Fillies & Mares Quality Handicap Field, Barriers & Weights

#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight (kg)	Hcp. Rating
1	FUNTANTES	Robert Heathcote	Jim Byrne	3	58	92
2	ACQUIRED (NZ)	Robert Heathcote	Bobby El-Issa	9	57.5	91
3	MISS INDEPENDENT	Chris Waller	Glen Colless	1	55	85
4	BEVAGNA	Mick Mair	Michael Hughes	15	54.5	84
5	GENERAL SECRETARY	Brett Baker	Brad Stewart	6	54	83
6	INANNA	Laurie Richardson	Eddie Wilkinson	11	54	83
7	SAINT MINERVA	Alan Bailey	Scott Seamer	16	53.5	82
8	WARRIOR GIRL	Kelly Purdy	Daniel Griffin	5	53	81
9	ZIPPY LOU	John Petersen	Jason Taylor	13	53	80
10	CHASTE	Kelly Schweida	Chris Munce	2	53	79
11	SPANISH FLING	Pat Duff	Mandy Radecker	7	53	79
12	STARTLING PLEASURE	Peter Strong	Jason Holder	14	53	78
13	CHILLY RULER	Gillian Heinrich	Joe Bowditch	8	53	77
14	CARIAD	Steele Ryan	Justin Wood (a)	12	53	74
15	LADY SELENE	Bryan Guy	Scott Galloway	10	53	73
16	WELCOME SITE	Reg Mackay	Katrina Ashton (a)	4	53	70

Photo courtesy (c) Taron Clarke Photography