Stakes-winning mare Volkoff will carry the lightest weight in her long career when she runs at Doomben in a bid to send her to stud as a winner.
Volkoff will probably be having her final race start in Saturday’s Tim Bell Memorial Handicap (1200m).
The eight-year-old mare has been a top performer in a 45-start career which originated in Western Australia.
Volkoff has won 12 races and $561,000 prize money which includes wins in two stakes races in Perth.
The mare made her way to Queensland last year when she was entered for the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
She failed to reach her reserve and her owners decided to put her back into work with Gold Coast trainers Bryan and Daniel Guy.
Volkoff has been a solid performer for the Guys winning at the Sunshine Coast and Doomben.
She again went to the broodmare sale this year and was bought by Hollymount Stud which elected to keep racing her until the breeding season.
Bryan Guy said Saturday would probably be Volkoff’s last race start.
“We will have a look around for a 1000 metre or 1100 metre race later in the month but there doesn’t appear to be anything to suit her,” Guy said.
“She has never won at 1200 metres but I think Saturday might be her chance.”
“She has been getting around 56kg in these types of races but they gave her only 54.5kg.”
“So we have got Jackson Murphy to ride her and she will have only 52.5kg after his claim. It should really help her get the 1200.”
The lightest weight Volkoff has carried in her career is 54kg and she has twice won under that impost.
Guy pointed out while Volkoff had run only two seconds from eight attempts at 1200m, one of those seconds had been in Listed class.
“Even her runs in black-type races in Queensland have been honest so I don’t think the class on Saturday is any worry,” Guy said.
“Her two runs this time in have been on rain-affected tracks which haven’t suited her. A win on Saturday would push her over $600,000 in prize money which would be a fitting way for her to go out.”
Murphy will be keen to start the season on a high on Saturday after missing four months of last season through injury.
He finished third on the metropolitan apprentices premiership with 22 winners.
