Vanna Girl stays on
TRAINER Toby Edmonds is resigned to talented filly Vanna Girl missing her chance at black-type this winter but he is still planning to continue her campaign.
Racing in Queensland will be divided into regions from Tuesday because of the coronavirus pandemic and the Gold Coast stable of Toby and Trent Edmonds is based in the Metro South-West zone.
It means the stable’s runners will be restricted to week day meetings at the Coast, Ipswich and Toowoomba.
Toby Edmonds is also hoping his horses can race in the Northern Rivers region of NSW during current cross-border restrictions.
“The horses can travel to the Northern Rivers but we can’t go with them,” Edmonds said. “We just have to arrange someone to meet them at the other end and then send them back.
“The only problem is we can’t use our jockeys.”
Edmonds runs one of Queensland’s biggest stables and employs close to 40 staff.
“It isn’t just me but the entire industry must keep going,” Edmonds said.
“My staff has been obeying strict hygiene regimens as they realise it is their livelihoods at stake.”
Edmonds has been looking at the race programs for the coming month for his horses including Vanna Girl.
“It will take us a good while to work out where our horses are going. It is a lot to digest,” Edmonds said.
“We are resigned to Vanna Girl missing a chance at black-type as a three-yearold but hopefully she can get it later in her career.”
Vanna Girl has shown potential with wins in two three-year-old handicaps over 1600m before going for a short break in February and Edmonds said she gave every indication she would stay.
She starts her campaign in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap (1350m) at Doomben today.