Queensland Guineas 2016: No need for Magic tricks with smart Tsaritsa
THE Magic Man reckoned he didn’t need to pull a rabbit out of his hat to win the Queensland Guineas on exciting filly Tsaritsa.
THE Magic Man reckoned he didn’t need to pull a rabbit out of his hat to win the Queensland Guineas on exciting filly Tsaritsa.
“There was no magic there, I was simply on the best horse,” superstar jockey Joao Moreira said, after bringing up his first win on his first visit to Queensland.
“She has a great turn of foot and her finish was amazing.
“I could always feel she was travelling nicely underneath me.”
Despite a late betting drift from $2.80 to $4, the talented Tsaritsa finished powerfully to win the Group 2 Guineas and put a twinkle in Chris Waller’s eye.
She has now won four from seven starts but Sydney’s premier trainer believes she should arguably be unbeaten.
“She might not have won all of her early starts, but if you go through her record she has been extremely unlucky,” Waller said.
“She could easily be seven from seven.
“It was a well-timed run from Joao and I think today is a credit to the way the new Eagle Farm track is playing.
“It just shows if you put money into getting things right for the horses and put money into the facilities, the rest of it takes care of itself.”
Waller now has some interesting food for thought about whether to keep Tsaritsa going for the Group 1 Tatts’ Tiara at Eagle Farm in a fortnight.
He feels she has now taken a stepping stone to top-level racing and thinks he can have some fun with her in the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
“It is always tempting to go on one more (race) to the Tatts Tiara and we will give it some serious thought,” Waller said.
“Realistically, I think she could have a very bright Spring and we could set her for a race like the Myer Classic.
“I think she has shown today she can compete at a high level.”
There were few excuses behind the winner, but jockey James Orman felt third-placed Toowoomba filly Sold For Song was a bit stiff.
“She ran the mile right out really strongly and if she had drawn a good barrier she would have made things interesting,” Orman said.
Rosie right at home in Brisbane Cup
KIWI jockey Rosie Myers spent weeks in agony after breaking her leg and was unable to ride her favourite horse Benzini in this year’s Auckland Cup.
But that pain was a distant memory when she returned to her former home to become the first woman to win a Brisbane Cup with a perfect ride on Benzini.
Myers had a successful stint in Brisbane when she was indentured to Kelso Wood but returned to New Zealand to be with her partner who runs Goodwood Stud.
She has won multiple Group 1s across the ditch but Saturday’s strong Brisbane Cup win on Benzini was her first Stakes win in Australia.
‘’He is my favourite horse because he just always does his best,” Myers said.
‘’I broke my leg a few days before the Auckland Cup and I was shattered, and unfortunately he didn’t go too well in that race anyway.
“This is just so special to me that I have been able to come back to Brisbane, where I had so many happy times, and win on this horse.”
The winner of 11 races, Benzini is trained by Kiwis Adrian and Harry Bull who have had several top horses including the Group 1-winning sprinter-miler Nashville.
Myers produced a terrific Brisbane Cup ride in a race not full of them, with runner-up Sir John Hawkwood again unlucky after not seeing clear air until too late.
Yes, you can get what you pay for
QUEENSLAND-BASED Aquis Farm was rewarded for its recent pricey acquisitions when it landed a dream Stradbroke day double yesterday.
Aquis Farm, which is based at the property previously occupied by Patinack Farm, purchased Group 2 QTC Cup winner Spill The Beans off Arrowfield Stud and this was his first start for Aquis.
Similarly, Cradle Me was sold to Aquis Farm for $300,000 at last week’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, and at her first start for the group took out the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes.
Trainer Gerald Ryan is resigned to Spill The Beans leaving his stable tomorrow, as this was likely his final start before retiring to stud.
“The owners paid a lot of money for him to go to stud and good luck to them,” he said. “If they happen to change their mind, I wouldn’t say no (to training him again). This is a very satisfying result for me.
“It was the 100th race I’ve won with progeny of Snitzel and having spent a lot of time in Queensland, it’s also emotional to win a race here on the first day back at Eagle Farm.
“Really, this result was an excellent one for the Queensland industry.”
Trainer David Pfieffer said he was unsure if Cradle Me would race on or retire to stud this year. “She’s a seven-year- old but you wouldn’t know it,” he said. “She’s racing in the best form of her career.”
Cradle Me has been sold three times through the Magic Millions, being a bargain basement-priced yearling who later made $28,000 at the Ready To Run Sale before last week’s broodmare sale.
With Nathan Exelby
Originally published as Queensland Guineas 2016: No need for Magic tricks with smart Tsaritsa
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