A masterful ride from Jim Cassidy put Sydney filly Scorpio Queen into Queensland Oaks contention month with a narrow victory in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet at the Gold Coast.
Cassidy defied the trend of other riders skirting wide on the heavy track by taking the quickest way home along the rails on the daughter of Choisir in Saturday’s 1800m feature.
His quick thinking enabled Scorpio Queen ($7) to hold off the fast-finishing Secret Garden ($13) to score by a head with Anagold ($61) a further three-quarters of a length third.
New Zealand Oaks winner Miss Artistic ($6) produced a superb trial for the Group One Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 2 finishing fourth, only 2-1/2 lengths from the winner.
The filly’s part-owner Steve Kirkham confirmed Scorpio Queen would take the traditional route to the Queensland Oaks via the Group Three Roses (2000m) at Doomben in a fortnight.
Kirkham paid $100,000 for Scorpio Queen as a yearling at the Magic Millions sales hoping she would turn out to be a stayer.
“Her half-sister ran fourth in a VRC Oaks,” Kirkham said.
“She was a gangly and a fine looking thing as a yearling and very leggy.
“I know she is by Choisir who generally are not stayers but she’s got potential.
“It was a good win. When they sprinted they dropped her off but she fought on well.”
Cassidy, who won two earlier races aboard Hours Of Peril and Boys On Tour for Patinack Farm, believed the decision not to go wide was the difference before winning and losing.
“I had nothing to lose from where I was placed before the turn,” Cassidy said.
“I went back to the fence because it was pretty chopped up out wide.
“It was a good tidy win and she’s got a lot of upside.”
Connections of Miss Artistic were delighted with the filly’s effort to finish fourth.
Trainer Shaune Ritchie had concerns before the race that the daughter of Darci Brahma was a run short of her best.
Jockey Chris Munce said Miss Artistic, who was having her first start since claiming the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham in mid-March, would improve greatly following the run.
“She had had enough at the finish but it was a good run and you couldn’t be critical of it,” Munce said.
