Trainer Ron Quinton has revised plans to aim Dixie Blossoms at the Doncaster Mile, meaning her rivalry with stablemate Daysee Doom will extend to the Group One Queen Of The Turf Stakes.
The duo clashed for the seventh time in the Group One Coolmore Classic on March 17, and a fortnight later the five-year-old mares cross paths again at Rosehill in Saturday’s Group Two Emancipation Stakes (1500m).
Quinton had considered separating the five-year-olds by sending Dixie Blossoms to the Doncaster Mile at Randwick on Saturday week rather than the Emancipation Stakes, but the 2018 Queen Of The Turf now takes precedence.
“We were toying with the idea of the Doncaster with Dixie where she’d have carried 52 but to run (in the Queen of The Turf) she’d have to back-up a week later and we weren’t happy to do that,” Quinton said.
Daysee Doom, who won the Coolmore Classic, was always headed for the Emancipation Stakes.
Quinton, who rode Emancipation to victory in the 1983 Doncaster Mile, said Daysee Doom and Dixie Blossoms have bounced out of the Coolmore Classic well and worked impressively on Tuesday.
Daysee Doom now has a 2-1 head-to-head winning record over Dixie Blossoms, though Quinton sees little separating them.
“Dixie was beaten less than a length in the Coolmore, and she’s 1.5 kilos better off this time,” he said.
“I’m very happy with the two mares. They worked well on Tuesday.”
Quinton rode six-time Group One winner Emancipation throughout her storied career and is keen for his star mares to claim the race named in her honour after they filled the minor placings last year.
Daysee Doom was runner-up to Zanbagh by a head despite travelling wide throughout and being hampered at the 800 while Dixie Blossoms improved from last at the 400.
“They were both unlucky,” Quinton said.
Daysee Doom was the $3.50 favourite for this year’s edition with the TAB on Tuesday and Dixie Blossoms was the $4.60 second elect.
The John Thompson-trained Zanbagh was a $51 chance to go back-to-back second-up after finishing at the tail of the Coolmore Classic field.
