Ron Quinton will give Crafty Irna one last chance to prove 2400 metres is within her capabilities in Saturday’s City Tattersalls Club Cup at Randwick.
The mare has tackled the distance twice before and finished down the track both times, in the AJC Australian Oaks last autumn and The Metropolitan last start.
Both assignments were at Group One level and Quinton is keen to see if Crafty Irna can turn that around in Listed grade.
“One of the owners mentioned that maybe she doesn’t run 2400 metres,” Quinton said.
“She’s by Starcraft and he wasn’t a dead-set stayer. He won a Derby but they can win a Derby or an Oaks and not be genuine stayers.
“So what I’m saying is, `let’s run her in the Tatts Cup and we’ll soon know whether she runs 2400 metres,’ and she will be back in grade a bit too.
“If she doesn’t stay then next preparation we will restrict her to shorter distances but we’ve got to find out now whether she can handle the 2400.”
Crafty Irna is proven up to 2000 metres.
She won the Group Three Adrian Knox Stakes as a three-year-old and last month finished a head second to Lamasery in the Group Three Kingston Town Stakes, both over the middle-distance.
Quinton said she came through her Metropolitan run in great order and had pleased him since.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained Herculian Prince is also expected to head to the Tatts Cup after being galloped on from behind when unplaced in the Metropolitan.
He will be joined in Saturday’s feature by stablemates Older Than Time, a last start fifth to My Kingdom Of Fife in the Craven Plate, and Reuben Percival.
The City Tattersalls Club Cup (2400m) was a launch pad to Melbourne for Maluckyday last spring.
He posted a dominant 4-1/4 length win before claiming the Lexus Stakes a start later and beating all but Americain in the Melbourne Cup.
Quinton will also start the consistent Ofcourseican at Randwick in either the City Lightning Hcp (1100m) or The Nivison (1200m) for mares.
A Listed winner during the autumn, Ofcourseican has been knocking on the door for another success with two thirds in as many starts this campaign.
She flew late to just miss first-up in the Sheraco Stakes (1100m) won by Gybe and was again closing late behind Screen and Gybe in the Group Three Golden Pendant (1200m) at her most recent appearance.
AAP TURF
