OUR GROUP 1 QUICKIE
CORRECT WEIGHT
PAKENHAM trainer Phillip Stokes couldn’t be happier with rising star Mr Quickie ahead of today’s Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.
The four-year-old, partowned by Gnarwarre’s Rosemont Stud, is $3.50 second favourite behind Tasmanian raider Mystic Journey.
Mr Quickie finished with lights and sirens on when firstup at Flemington in the Group 1 Makybe Diva last start. He ran the fastest closing sectionals for the day with his last 200m clocked at 10.88 seconds.
Stokes said that run had confirmed Mr Quickie, who won the Group 1 Queensland Derby last preparation, had returned in brilliant form.
The run meant connections shifted their focus to the Group 1 Caulfield Cup on October 19, where Mr Quickie will carry 53kg.
But first they have to get through the Turnbull, where Gun hoop John Allen will ride Mr Quickie from barrier 11.
Stokes was confident he would run well.
“Everything is good. We’ve got a run under the belt, he will take improvement from that,” Stokes said.
“He deserves his shot at a race like this.
“It’s probably a good year this year (to race in Group 1s), because we haven't got a Winx (to come up against). So that always helps.
“We are still learning our way a little bit. I know he did it as a three-year-old but we still need to see him run out a strong 2000m to see him go to the Caulfield Cup.
“All things equal, if he does that, then he will more than likely go towards the Caulfield Cup.”
Allen, who normally rides at 56kg, has told connections he will try and make the weight to ride Mr Quickie in the Caulfield Cup.
“I asked him about it (the weight) the other day and he said he wants to ride 53kg. I asked him when was the last time he rode it and he said: ‘Errrrrr... never’,” Stokes said.
“But he is riding one for me (today) at 54kg at short notice, so he is obviously trying to get his weight down.”
MEANWHILE, Mystic Journey must pass a crucial distance test in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes to keep the Cox Plate dream alive.
But trainer Adam Trinder is confident the star Tasmanian mare and equal Cox Plate favourite will do just that at Flemington today.
“She’s trained right on from the Makybe Diva Stakes and she’s going to go there tomorrow and run a really forward race for us, I trust,” Trinder said yesterday.
“Obviously if she doesn’t run a strong 2000 metres tomorrow she won’t be at the Cox Plate in three weeks’ time. We’ll reassess.”