Trainer Patrick Payne will chase a first win in the Bendigo Guineas when he sends under-rated filly Quang Tri to the race second-up.
The Listed race over 1400m on Saturday will be Quang Tri’s third start in Stakes company having won the Listed Gibson Carmichael Stakes (1600m) as a two-year-old before finishing out of the money in the Listed Connoisseur Stakes (1800m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Quang Tri sprung to prominence when she took out the Elvstroem Classic (1300m) during the Swan Hill Carnival last June ahead of her Gibson Carmichael victory at Flemington.
And the filly has shown she is adept on rain-affected ground winning over 1400m at Caulfield first-up during the Spring Carnival.
Quang Tri had her first run back at Flemington over 1100m and gave 4.5kg in weight to the undefeated What You Need when finishing seventh over 1100m at Flemington on March 11.
“I thought she ran pretty well over 1100 metres up the straight first-up,” Payne told RSN.
“It wasn’t really suitable for her but she’s training really well.”
Payne said the filly will appreciate the rise to 1400m on Saturday and further down the track is eyeing the $500,000 VOBIS Sires Guineas (1600m) at Sandown on April 15.
He said Quang Tri had made improvement and had filled out following her spring campaign.
“I think she has improved a bit,” Payne said.
“She races on Saturday and there’s a $500,000 VOBIS Gold race in a couple of weeks’ time. That’s over 1600 metres, so that will be a nice race for her.
“But she’s ready to run really well on Saturday, but I think she will be even better third-up over a mile next time, but she’s training really well, and she can run really competitively.”
