Quinella target a Salute to confidence
THEY may be considered outsiders by the bookies but trainer Paul Butterworth says She Salutes and Princess Cavallo can secure the quinella for him today at the Gold Coast.
Butterworth has put both horses in the Gold Coast Event Centre Handicap (900m), with She Salutes rated a $13 chance while Princess Cavallo is $10.
Jockey Ryan Plumb will ride Princess Cavallo, who has suffered a run of bad luck in her first two outings. Corey Bayliss will take to the saddle on She Salutes at her first start.
“Princess Cavallo lost her rider last Saturday in town (at Eagle Farm),” the Brisbanebased Butterworth said.
“She had a long break after her first start because she was shin sore but her work and jumpouts have been good.
“I was quietly confident we could go well last week in town but unfortunately as she jumped, the horse in the barrier outside her has jumped sideways and knocked her.
“She just sort of crossed her front feet, dipped and James Orman come off the side of her.
“She went around the field and there was no harm done so we are backing her up after the little mishap. We are quietly confident in her and She Salutes. They are both of similar ability so I’m hopeful we can run the quinella.”
Butterworth rated She Salutes as the better chance despite being at longer odds than her stablemate.
“They work together and Princess Cavallo on the track has the edge, however, She Salutes has been to the jumpouts twice and won both by four and five lengths,” Butterworth said.
“Whether she has been in weak jumpouts or whether she is saving her best for that race condition we will see.
“I’d lean towards She Sal- utes just because she is a stronger filly. But the other one is not far behind.”
Butterworth considers both were metropolitan-class horses and is hopeful of getting She Salutes to the winter carnival in Brisbane.
“We will see what happens at the Gold Coast and in the next start but Princess Cavallo I have got plans to be a nice, staying type of filly as she gets older,” Butterworth said.
“The other filly, though, she will be better in time.
“She might have the quality to maybe get there.
“We will just see how she goes in the first couple of starts.”