Trainer Neville Layt is proud to trumpet Karuta Queen’s brave second to Black Caviar but he doesn’t want to take the champion on again.
Layt has ruled out a return clash in the Group Two Schweppes (formerly Moir) Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday saying one bout was quite enough.
Karuta Queen is instead set to line up against her own age in the Red Anchor Stakes on the same day over the same distance.
“I’d say she is one hundred per cent certain to run in the Group Three three-year-old race over 1200 metres,” Layt said.
“But she will be nominated for the Moir in case the big black thing’s not there.”
The speedy Karuta Queen took up the running in the Schillaci Stakes (1000m) and tried her heart out but she was monstered by Black Caviar who scored by 4-1/4 lengths in an arrogant performance.
Layt was left in awe of the mighty mare, whose Schillaci victory stretched her unbeaten sequence to 14 to equal Phar Lap’s achievment of successive wins.
“It was great to run second to Black Caviar, there is only one Black Caviar and my little filly ran out of her skin,” Layt said.
“If you take Black Caviar out, we win the Schillaci.
“She’s a freak that horse (Black Caviar). I wouldn’t be surprised to see her go unbeaten throughout her career.
“She was in second gear and my filly was low-flying at the time.
“My filly was entitled to lay down in the straight but she dug deep.”
She might not be in the Black Caviar catergory, but Karuta Queen is giving her connections a heady ride.
She cost $30,000 as a yearling and in 10 starts has banked over $1.6 million, fuelled by her victory in the Magic Millions Classic in January.
Prior to her second in the Schillaci she had finished third to Foxwedge in the San Domenico first-up, fourth to Smart Missile in the Run To The Rose and won the Listed Heritage Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill last month.
Layt said she had come through her clash with Black Caviar in top order and was “fantastic”.
He elected to take her home to Queanbeyan, just outside Canberra, after that run and confirmed she would head back to Melbourne on Wednesday.
AAP TURF
