New Zealand three-year-old Platinum Kingdom has given his trainer Lisa Latta her first Queensland win with a strong display in the Fred Best Classic on Saturday.
Latta is fast building a name for herself from her Awapuni base and she has brought three horses to Queensland for the winter.
Platinum Kingdom - Photo by Daniel Costello
Platinum Kingdom ($15) got her Brisbane carnival off to a flying start when he beat Boban ($13) to win the Group Three race by three-quarters of a length with a nose to Academus ($3.50).
The race attracted a quality field of three year olds but Platinum Kingdom had plenty in had in the final 100m of the 1350m race.
Latta said Platinum Kingdom would go to the Group Two Queensland Guineas (1400m) on June 1 and did not totally rule out a start in the Group One Stradbroke Hcp (1400m) a week later.
“I think the Guineas is his race and there is another race for him on Stradbroke day,” Latta said.
Platinum Kingdom came to Brisbane via Sydney where he won a Randwick race on a heavy track.
“We came via Sydney because of the way the races fell for him. He handles all types of conditions and he was unlucky at Hawkesbury at his last start on a good track,” Latta said.
Winning jockey Jonathan Riddell said Platinum Kingdom was a strong horse who would be hard to beat in the Guineas.
“He is pretty good horse around the 1400 and 1600 metres,” Riddell said.
Platinum Kingdom had great gate speed which was a big advantage, he added.
Fellow Kiwi rider Leith Innes said Boban had turned in a nice trial for the Guineas with his second after being held up after entering the straight.
