Co-owner Joe O’Neill believes he has a promising stayer on his hands after Quang Tri took out the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final at Flemington.
The daughter of Shalaa relished the rise to 1600m on Saturday to register her second win in succession after capturing the Elvstroem Classic (1300m) at Swan Hill last month.
Sent out the $5.50 favourite under Bill Egan, Quang Tri scored by a length from Kings Consort ($7.50) with Magnaspin ($6.50) a head away third.
O’Neill said he would speak with trainer Patrick Payne to devise a plan going forward with Quang Tri.
He said the spring may come too soon, but O’Neill is already looking forward to the Group 1 ATC Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick next autumn with the filly.
Quang Tri comes from a stout staying family on the dam side with the filly’s mother Saigon Tea winning the Listed Xmas Cup in Sydney while her granddam Boulevardofdreams was a placegetter in the Australian Oaks.
“Billy Mitchell and James (Mitchell) found her. We had a good chat about her and decided to buy her and were lucky to get her for what we paid ($90,000),” O’Neill said.
“I think that she’ll go on and she could become a very, very good three-year-old.
“We’ll talk to Paddy and see what we do with her, but we get these good three-year-olds every year, or we seem to, and we’ve got another really good one here.
“We’ve got a very high opinion of her and we have had from Day 1.
“Paddy said the first time he rode her, ‘gee, this goes good’ and you always get a feel when Paddy keeps riding them in work back at the farm you might have something that’s just a bit special.
“There’s a couple more coming through the system, so watch out for the Prime team.”
