Randwick Inside Mail: David Payne seeking rags-to-riches win with $15,000 yearling Rag Queen in $2m Inglis Millennium

The cheapest yearling purchase in the $2m Inglis Millennium will attempt to complete a rags-to-riches story at Randwick on Saturday.

Rag Queen (centre) winning on debut at Canterbury last month. Picture: Bradley Photos

Rag Queen, the cheapest yearling purchase in the race, can be the rags-to-riches tale of the $2m Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer David Payne needed a bid of only $15,000 to secure Rag Queen who repaid her purchase price with interest winning on debut at Canterbury and earning nearly $40,000 prizemoney.

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But Rag Queen, among five starting protecting unbeaten records in the Inglis Millennium, is rated only a $21 chance.

Payne was cautiously optimistic about Rag Queen’s chances in the big race.

Dakota Vroom looks like living up to her price tag.
Two from two this prep with this impressive effort and won three from six so far.

By I Am Invincible from Gr1 Blue Diamond winner Catchy, she's the first foal of her dam and $1.2mil buy for @cwallerracing & Hermitage from… pic.twitter.com/2lpVmQXQEA

— Breednet (@BreednetNews) January 19, 2024

“To be honest, I’m just not sure how strong the race was that she won,’’ Payne said.

“But she did a good job at her first start and she has trained on well since.

“She’s drawn well (barrier six) and although I don’t think she has the speed to take advantage of her barrier, she will be running on well and you just never know in this game.’’

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Payne is also represented by topweights Mahagoni ($8.50) and Monfelicity ($11) in the Midway Handicap (1600m).

“Mahagoni is a big horse and has taken a while to work his way back into form,’’ Payne said.

“But he ran well last start (third to Glory Daze) and he is getting better with racing.

“Monfelicity is a very honest mare, she’s holding her form and she seems to race well at Randwick.

“I can’t really split them. If they get some luck in running, then they both should run very well.’’

PRICE CHECK

Anode (race 2), the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained juvenile who romped home on debut, has been the best-backed runner on the Randwick program. Anode has firmed from $2.80 into $2.15 favouritism for the Lonhro Plate after consistent support all week including bets of $2225 at $1.90 and $2000 at $2.10.

TRIAL POINTERS

Embassy (race 2) was a $625,000 Magic Millions Yearling purchase in 2023. A son of the all-conquering I Am Invincible, Embassy is out of a Denman mare who traces back on a direct line to the influential broodmare So Elated. Embassy has trialled three times dating back to the official two-year-old heats in September where he finished a distant fourth to Breeders’ Plate runner-up Straight Charge. Embassy, trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, has won both of his trials this time in and looked especially sharp in the most recent at Hawkesbury.

Frilled (race 8) puts her unbeaten tag to the test when she takes on the strongest race she has yet contested. The Matthew Smith-trained mare has been too fast for every other challenger in her five preceding starts from Nowra to The Valley and Kembla in between, where she set a new course record for the 1000m. Frilled has been a predictable winner of her two Warwick Farm trials, recording 46sec flat in her 782m heat on January 30 which is quick – even for her!

Ollie LIFTS Frilled over the line & the Star Witness mare is now 5/5! 🐐 @mcsmithracingpic.twitter.com/qaYNw7ZnWy

— Racing.com (@Racing) October 27, 2023

SECTIONAL STARS

Our Maryanne (race 1) sports the colours of the three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva and is trained by another of Racing’s Hall of Fame inductees – Clarry Conners. Few horses would be able to match Our Maryanne’s pedigree. For starters, she is a daughter of Frankel. On top of that, Our Maryanne’s fourth dam is the champion filly and subsequent broodmare gem Denise’s Joy. Our Maryanne opened her 2024 account with a narrow but dominant come from behind win on the Kensington track on January 31.

Dakota Vroom (race 5) has been in the headlines from as far back as the Easter Yearling Sale in 2021 where she sold for $1.2m – a price easily explainable given she is by I Am Invincible out of the Blue Diamond winner, Catchy. This Chris Waller-trained mare has won three of her six starts including both appearances this time in work, each one at Canterbury with a similar “back and over the top” pattern which normally plays well at Royal Randwick.

Dakota Vroom looks like living up to her price tag.
Two from two this prep with this impressive effort and won three from six so far.

By I Am Invincible from Gr1 Blue Diamond winner Catchy, she's the first foal of her dam and $1.2mil buy for @cwallerracing & Hermitage from… pic.twitter.com/2lpVmQXQEA

— Breednet (@BreednetNews) January 19, 2024

BEST BET

Tom Kitten (race 6) scored one of the most outstanding big-race wins of the spring when he unleashed a brilliant burst of acceleration to win the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes before going for a spell. Admittedly, that win was over 2000m and he is resuming in the Eskimo Prince Stakes at 1200m but he is capable of sprinting well fresh. He did produce a powerful finish to score a first-up win in the Up And Coming Stakes over 1300m last spring. Tom Kitten looked very good in a recent trial effort at Hawkesbury and is set for a big autumn campaign.

VALUE BET

Fire (race 10) has been improved by two runs from a spell including his closing second over the Randwick 1200m course last start. The winner, Bandi’s Boy, got a dream run through along the rail and that proved the difference. Fire was unplaced behind Tintookie when resuming but he meets that mare better at the weights here. The Team Hawkes-trained Fire is over the odds at $13.

MARKET MOVERS

Race 1: Cirebon $6-$5, Invincible Legend $11-$8

Race 2: Anode has firmed from $2.80 to $2.15 after bets of $2,225 at $1.90 and $2,000 at $2.10

Race 3: Hell Hath No Fury $4.80-$3.40, Nana’s Wish $6-$4, Infinitive $8-$4.80, Ceerseven $11-$5

Race 4: Belvedere Boys $5-$3.10

Race 5: Gently Rolled $4.60-$2.40

Race 6: Caballus $6-$4.60, Moravia $6-$5 including a $2,000 bet at $5

Race 7: Fully Lit $3.50-$3.20-$3.50, Rue De Royale $6.50-$5

Race 8: Frilled $2.70-$2.40, Omni Man $7-$6, Derry Grove $10-$7

Race 9: Amor Victorious $2.80-$2.30

Race 10: Tintookie $4.20-$3.50, Mrs Chrissie $10-$5.50, Bellinger $14-$6

EARLY QUADDIE

Race 3: 1,4,6

Race 4: 3,6,10,20

Race 5: 2,4,6,7

Race 6: 1,2,3,4

QUADDIE

Race 7: 1,6,8,12

Race 8: 2,3,7,8

Race 9: 7,8,10

Race 10: 2,3,8,9