Varinka to represent the old firm
RON Quinton and George Altomonte have six Golden Slipper wins between them and while today at Kembla Grange the stakes are a bit lower for the dynamic duo, a shared win with Varinka would be no less welcome.
The daughter of Choisir is no stranger to the venue. In fact, this will be her sixthstraight appearance at Kembla and potentially her second win at the track and distance in today’s Popular Petfood & Produce Class 1 Handicap (1500m).
Varinka broke her maiden status at start nine on December 14, showing enormous character and grit to win by a nose despite being three wide for the most part and five wide on the bend.
“She has had a bit of racing and hasn’t run for a while,’’ trainer Quinton said.
“When she won that day, she had a pretty torrid run and she actually felt it, so that’s the reason I have just given her a bit longer between runs.
“She is not very big but she is a real little trier.
“It will be interesting to see what happens with all this rain but by the time Varinka races there may be a pattern that has developed. Louise (Day, jockey) will sort it out anyway.’’
Varinka was born and raised at Altomonte’s Corumbene Stud at Dunedoo. He has bred a host of major stakes winners in his time – including the Slipper victors Sebring and his own Overreach.
Among his elite broodmare band is Born To be Queen, who Quinton rode to win The Metropolitan in 1986.
Horse and rider were also placed in the VRC Derby, VRC Oaks and were fifth in the Mackinnon Stakes.
Varinka’s dam, Trickett, is a sister to stakes winners Ichihara and Isurava, the latter being the mother of Altomonte’s one-time The Everest contender Menari.