Ron Quinton only has a dozen horses in work but the former champion jockey will saddle up two Group One hopefuls on Golden Slipper day at Rosehill.
Quinton has last-start Group One winner Ofcourseican and Group Two Villiers winner Monton on target for Saturday’s Queen Of The Turf Stakes and George Ryder Stakes respectively.
Stablemate Crafty Irna is likely to back up in the Group Three Neville Sellwood Stakes after her second in the Epona Stakes last Saturday.
Ofcourseican is also nominated for the George Ryder but Quinton says his preference is the Queen Of The Turf so long as the mare’s owner agrees.
Early morning fog at Randwick on Tuesday thwarted Quinton’s attempts to cast his eye over his charges’ final hitouts but the trainer was upbeat about their prospects.
Monton produced an encouraging return when second to More Joyous in the Group Two Canterbury Stakes (1300m).
“He’s come along really well,” Quinton said.
“Unfortunately we couldn’t see much of his work because the fog was too bad when he worked but my rider was happy.
“Craig Newitt rides him on Saturday and he’ll ride him in the Doncaster as well.”
Newitt was locked in for the Doncaster after being impressed with the gelding’s Canterbury Stakes performance where he loomed up to More Joyous but peaked on his run.
“I explained to him (Newitt) before the Canterbury Stakes the races that I was going to run him in,” Quinton said.
“When he came back in after the race I said to him, `That horse only has 52 and a half kilos in the Doncaster, he can’t be rehandicapped and he’s exempt from any ballot’.
“He said to me, `I know because I’m riding him’.”
The George Ryder (1500m) has attracted 23 nominations with a field limit of 17 plus four emergencies.
The Queen Of The Turf (1500m) has 13 nominations including star mare More Joyous and Cox Plate winner Pinker Pinker.
Ofcourseican won the Coolmore Classic last start carrying 53.5kg but the Queen Of The Turf and George Ryder are both weight-for-age races.
“I’m hopeful that her owner agrees with me that she should run in the fillies and mares race,” Quinton said.
“She’s not going to meet them well on weights but she’s a mare in form.
“It’s not going to end up a huge field where the other race looks like being a big field, a capacity field.”
Quinton said Ofcourseican had come through her breakthrough Group One success in great order.
“She’s a tough mare,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe how well she came through the race a couple of days after the Coolmore.
“We couldn’t see much of her work this morning either but we saw her the last furlong (200m) and her last furlong was pretty impressive.”
