Despite a small field and a liking for the Flemington straight, Vain Queen will miss the Group One Lightning Stakes on Saturday.
Instead, the mare will run in the Group One Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday week.
Trainer John Sadler and part-owner Phil Green wrestled with the idea of tackling the Lightning Stakes, even though they considered a minor placing behind Lankan Rupee and Deep Field would be the mare’s best result.
But with possibly of just seven runners in the Lightning, Sadler and Green believed the mare could pick up a Group One placing to enhance her broodmare value.
Vain Queen had an 800-metre jump-out at Sandown on Tuesday morning and wasn’t asked to do a lot under apprentice Tom Sadler.
Sadler and Green had a discussion following the jump-out where the decision was made to chase a Group One victory.
“The small field was the appealing thing and she has won four out of five at Flemington,” Sadler said.
“You wouldn’t expect her to beat the other two (Lankan Rupee and Deep Field) but she would be in there for third with Brazen Beau.
“At the end of the day we felt we would prefer to be chasing a Group One win with her rather than just chasing a Group One placing.”
Sadler admitted a big field of 18 in the Oakleigh Plate, where luck in running will play a part in the outcome, almost swung the decision the other way.
Vain Queen had a bit of a blow after her workout at Sandown and Sadler said the trial was a little softer than he would have ordered if a decision had been made on which race to tackle before to trialling.
“With perhaps her running on Saturday we gave her a soft trial, otherwise she would have had a harder hit-out if we had decided to go to the Oakleigh Plate beforehand,” Sadler said.
