Queanbeyan preview: Trainer Anthony Warren has his sights on a big day with three leading contenders

Trainer Anthony Warren heads to Queanbeyan with three runners and makes a strong case for each horse to be among the leading chances.

Bounty By Knight is looking to make it back-to-back wins when he heads to Queanbeyan. Picture: Bradley Photos

It may have been a non-TAB maiden at Cooma, but trainer Anthony Warren couldn’t have been any more impressed by the win of Bounty By Knight and feels he is a big chance in his next assignment.

The five-year-old officially scored a half-length win from Beograd Boy and Suspicious Times but it was the way he did it that really impressed his trainer.

“He actually won that race in quite tough fashion,” said Warren.

“He has come from 12 or 15 lengths off them and managed to round up the field and win by half a length which was something to be seen on that track.

“Since I’ve had him, he has quite often sat outside the leader or been close to leading.

“They went mad underneath him and to Sinead’s (Peebles) credit, she went to Plan B and decided to take a sit to conserve a bit of energy.

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“They have gone too hard up front and he managed to do his best work late. It might be his new racing pattern.”

Bounty By Knight steps up to the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1460m) at Queanbeyan in the Heat Of The Rising Star with Peebles to partner the gelding with 52.5kg after her 4kg claim.

“I think this race is going to suit him. Sinead rides him again and she gets on with him quite well.

“She will probably ride him in a similar fashion with both those tracks being tight.

“He is a lightly-framed horse so the big drop in weight suits him.”

Warren has two other runners for the day and gives both genuine chances in their respective races.

You Wish, who races in the well-known colours of the Inglis family, contests the Country Boosted Benchmark 50 Handicap (1000m) with Peebles’ claim dropping her down to 58kg.

The daughter of Cable Bay heads into the race off a gutsy three-quarter length second to All Too Lucky at Canberra on December 6 after racing four-wide throughout.

“She probably should have won that day,” Warren said.

“We decided not to trial her going into that run. She runs a lot better fresh so we will keep her that way and keep her to the five furlongs (1000m).

“We put the blinkers on her this preparation and they have really suited her.”

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You Wish knows he track well have raced there three times including a win over 900m on debut.

“She knows the track and she has drawn the golden alley there so I would say she is a fair sort of chance,” he said.

“She is down in grade and up in weight but she does have the 4kg claim.”

Warren’s other runner is Southern Deel in the Country Boosted Maiden (1000m) with apprentice Glenn Cahill on board.

The daughter of Dundeel beat just one home on debut on the Canberra Acton track back in June but her trial form has been terrific and Warren feels it’s best to assess her chances on that rather than her one run.

“We probably pulled the wrong rein there going to the 1280m first-up on the Acton,” he said.

“She is one of the few Dundeels who will never go over a trip. She needs to stay the short course.

“She is a nice mare who is very quick. In that last trial at Canberra, she ran home her last 600m in 33.8sec with her ears pricked.

“I genuinely think she can cross them, she has blinding gate speed and I imagine she will go forward and keep going.”

CONSISTENT RANTAN IS READY TO BOUNCE BACK

Things didn’t pan out as needed for Rantan last time out but trainer Ron Quinton feels she looks to get the right set-up this week and can bounce back.

Being a horse who tends to get back, especially when drawn out, Rantan is reliant on tempo but it went against her at Canterbury where she finished a length-and-a-half fifth behind Queen Of The Mile and Lady Extreme over 1100m.

“They went to slow for a short race and with her racing pattern, she has got to have speed on,” said Quinton.

“Her effort was there and she was still good to the line all things considered.”

The daughter of I Am Invincible won two of her first six starts and finished no further back than two-and-a-quarter lengths except first-up over 1280m at Canterbury when she was checked at the 400m and finished last behind subsequent Group 1 Caulfield Guineas winner, Private Life.

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“Her first couple of runs back this preparation were probably disappointing but other than that one run at Warwick Farm, she has never been far away,” Quinton said.

“Third-up, she ran a handy fourth at Hawkesbury then returned there with a good win two starts back.”

The three-year-old filly contests the All Too Hard @ Vinery Stud Handicap (1000m) where she has drawn barrier 8 and should get the required tempo with the likes of Iron Will, Passeggiata, Wondereach and Russian Snitzel engaged.

“They only have one turn over the 1000 metres and if they can’t travel a fraction wide for that short an amount of time, they you are only looking for excuses,” Quinton said.

“There looks to be plenty of speed in the race this week. I think they will be slipping along.”

Stablemate Hinchinjive resumes in the James Squire Handicap (1200m) and while she will be better as she steps up in trip, Quinton wouldn’t be surprised if she is thereabouts in the finish.

The six-year-old was doing her best work late when third and fifth respectively in her two recent Randwick trials.

“It’s a nice race to start her preparation off,” he said.

“If she jumps and settles and they go quick enough, then she will be strong at the end.

“She will be better as she gets up in distance to 1400 metres and 1600 metres no doubt, but if the race pans out the right way for her, she can run a cheeky race.”