Lady tries her luck

THE entire Rowe stable will be refreshing their internet every few seconds this morning to find out if Lady of Darkness will get a start in today’s $30,000 Townsville Guineas QTIS Three-Years-Old Handicap.

As of last night, the brown filly was the first emergency for the feature race at Cluden Park this afternoon with the Rowes needing one horse to be scratched to get a start.

The three-year-old, by So You Think out of Darkling, was impressive in her Far North debut earlier this month, winning over 950m at Cannon Park with John Lambie in the saddle.

Lady of Darkness was previously trained by leading Melbourne trainer David Hayes, the youngest trainer ever to be inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame, and Cairns trainer Trevor Rowe says luck brought her north.

“David Hayes and his stable were of the opinion that she was not a Group 1 horse so they moved her on,” Rowe said.

“I knew a friend at the right place at the right time.”

Scratchings close at 7.30am today and Rowe, who has won the Cairns Jockey Club trainer’s premiership in five of the past six years, believes his recent stable acquisition can compete over 1609m today.

“She will go good if she gets in,” Rowe said.

“She has trained well since her first-up win in Cairns earlier this month.

“It will be disappointing if she does not get a start but that is the way it goes.

“She has done everything we have wanted her to do.”

Rowe also starts Great Pretender in the Benchmark 65 Handicap this afternoon and said he was expecting a bold showing.

Fellow Far North trainer Janel Ryan will start We Just Love It in the Townsville Guineas.