Lonhro’s Queen heads for well-earned break as trainer Cameron Crockett plots path to Country Championships

Well-bred mare Lonhro’s Queen made it back-to-back Highway victories at Rosehill and will now be set on the path towards the Country Championships next autumn.

Lonhro's Queen (right) storms home with win her second TAB Highway at Rosehill on Saturday. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Trainer Cameron Crockett already has the Country Championships in mind for promising mare Lonhro’s Queen after she won again at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Lonhro’s Queen made it four wins from five starts since joining the Crockett stable when she finished strongly to take out the TAB Highway (1200m).

Crockett hasn’t had Lonhro’s Queen in his stable long enough to be eligible for The Kosciuszko this spring which is why the trainer has the Country Championships as a goal next autumn.

“We will put her out now, the timing is right. If she can run 1400m we will aim at Tamworth (Country Championships Qualifier),’’ Crockett said.

“If she can’t run 1400m then we will find something else. She has a lot of ability so there will be plenty of options.

“She is a nice horse – I haven’t had one like her before.”

Lonhro's Queen makes it back-to-back TAB Highway wins! 👏@camcrockettracepic.twitter.com/ukY8yxuCAV

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 3, 2024

Lonhro’s Queen ($5.50), brilliantly ridden by Jason Collett, won by a half length from Super Norwest ($17) with Cool Storm ($13) was a close third.

Intervarsity ($2.60 favourite) didn’t have much galloping room in the straight and lost his unbeaten record when finishing only sixth.

Collett feels there is a lot of “upside” with Lonhro’s Queen and said there is no reason why the mare won’t be able to run a strong 1400m later in the season.

“I don’t see why she wouldn’t run 1400m,’’ Collett said. “He (Crockett) has tried her over further but that was early in her career. You’d definitely have a crack at it.

“She’s strong late in her races. That seemed to be a strongly run 1200 and she was strongest to the line.

“She has got the frame, she is still only young and she has done really well this preparation.”

Lonhro’s Queen is beautifully bred four-yearold mare by former champion racehorse and sire Lonhro out of multiple stakes winner Queen Of The Hill, herself a half-sister to the brilliant Northern Meteor.

Crockett confirmed Lonhro’s Queen will now be spelled and be aimed at the Country Championships Qualifier in Tamworth next February.

“I wasn’t sure if I would run her again this preparation,’’ Crockett said.

“I have been under no pressure at all from Gooree, they let me make the decisions and said if you don’t want to run her, put her out but this was the end of her preparation, win, lose or draw.

”When Gooree gave her to me they just wanted me to try and win a maiden with her then she would go to the breeding barn.

“But they also said if she looks like a horse that can train on she would be a racing prospect and she does look to have a promising future.’’

Originally published as Lonhro’s Queen heads for well-earned break as trainer Cameron Crockett plots path to Country Championships